<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">At  noon NY time today, Stu and I will interview Cindy Cohn. She just wrote <i>Privacy's Defender. </i>Our show,<i> Community and Technology, </i>airs weekly on WHCR-FM and is co-sponsored by our chapter. Stu is the President.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><i> </i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">I thought to reach out for questions on some topics important to me. The US is blackmailing the EU to not enforce basic privacy protections on the US giants. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">I relate to that the subject of interoperability, long advocated by ISOC. I see it as a tool to reduce the power of the giants and something we should be fighting for. Few in my country realize how important that is around the world or the $tens of billions going to California and Seattle. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif">Any thoughts,  public or off the record?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style=""><font face="trebuchet ms, sans-serif">We're happy to share any of our work with other chapters. We recently interviewed</font> Adji Bousso Dieng of Princeton, an AI researcher leading the The Africa I Know. I pasted in an interview with her below. It would be a good ally for ISOC.</div><br clear="all"></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"></div><img src="cid:ii_mnmqcqna0" alt="image.png" width="337" height="507"><br><br></div><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Arial,"Liberation Sans",sans-serif;font-size:15px"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"><h2 class="gmail-headline" style="box-sizing:border-box;font-family:Arial,"Liberation Sans",sans-serif;line-height:1.1;margin:0px 0px 12px;font-size:23.4px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01)">Africa: AI Is Fuelling the 'Digital Colonisation' of Africa, Warns UN Scientist</h2><div class="gmail-sharebar gmail-solid gmail-top gmail-a2a_kit gmail-a2a_default_style gmail-a2a_kit_size_32" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:12px 15px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Arial,"Liberation Sans",sans-serif;font-size:13px;font-weight:400;line-height:32px"><a class="gmail-a2a_button_facebook" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://allafrica.com/#facebook" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_facebook" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(8,102,255);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">Facebook</span></a><a class="gmail-a2a_button_twitter" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://allafrica.com/#twitter" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_twitter" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(29,155,240);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">Twitter</span></a><a class="gmail-a2a_button_whatsapp" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://allafrica.com/#whatsapp" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_whatsapp" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(18,175,10);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">WhatsApp</span></a><a class="gmail-a2a_button_flipboard" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://allafrica.com/#flipboard" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_flipboard" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(204,0,0);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">Flipboard</span></a><a class="gmail-a2a_button_linkedin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://allafrica.com/#linkedin" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_linkedin" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(0,123,181);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">LinkedIn</span></a><a class="gmail-a2a_button_reddit" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://allafrica.com/#reddit" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_reddit" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(255,69,0);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">Reddit</span></a><a class="gmail-a2a_button_email" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://allafrica.com/#email" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_email" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(136,137,144);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">Email</span></a><a class="gmail-a2a_dd" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fallafrica.com%2Fstories%2F202604060010.html&title=AI%20Is%20Fuelling%20the%20%27Digital%20Colonisation%27%20of%20Africa%2C%20Warns%20UN%20Scientist" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:7px 0px;padding:0px 2px;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;line-height:16px"><span class="gmail-a2a_svg gmail-a2a_s__default gmail-a2a_s_a2a" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:rgb(1,102,255);background-repeat:repeat;display:block;overflow:hidden;height:32px;line-height:32px;width:32px;border-radius:4px;float:left"></span><span class="gmail-a2a_label gmail-a2a_localize" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;height:1px;width:1px">Share</span></a><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;clear:both"></div></div><div class="gmail-publisher-and-date" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:15px 0px 10px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Arial,"Liberation Sans",sans-serif;font-size:13px;font-weight:400"><div class="gmail-publication-date" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;font-size:10px;text-transform:uppercase;float:right">5 April 2026</div><div class="gmail-publication" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;float:left"><a href="http://www.rfi.fr/afrique" target="_blank" title="Visit Radio France Internationale" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-publisher-name" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;font-style:italic">Radio France Internationale</div></a></div></div><cite class="gmail-byline" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block;font-size:11.05px;font-family:Arial,"Liberation Sans",sans-serif;font-weight:400">By RFI</cite><div class="gmail-story-body" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:Arial,"Liberation Sans",sans-serif;font-size:13px;font-weight:400"><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><em style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">The United Nations has launched its first global panel on artificial intelligence, as concerns grow that the technology could deepen global inequalities - particularly in Africa, where systems are largely imported after being shaped elsewhere.</em></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">The panel, bringing together around 40 experts from 37 countries, was approved by the UN General Assembly in February and held its first meeting in March. Members serve in their personal capacity for a three-year term.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">It aims to help governments make sense of artificial intelligence (AI) as its reach quickly spreads across economies, <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/politics/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/politics/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">politics</a> and everyday life - and to close what the UN calls a growing "knowledge gap" around the technology.</p><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;clear:both"></div><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">Comparable with the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.ipcc.ch/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">IPCC</a> climate change panel, it is designed to provide independent scientific advice and produce regular assessments of AI's risks and impacts, at a time when a handful of companies, mostly in the <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/united-states/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/united-states/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">United States</a> and <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/china/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/china/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">China</a>, dominate the field.</p><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;clear:both"></div><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px;text-align:center"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;font-size:16.5px">Keep up with the latest headlines on <a href="https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaIdDi8Bqbr263erhw1K" class="external external-icon" title="https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaIdDi8Bqbr263erhw1K" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">WhatsApp</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/allafrica/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/allafrica/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">LinkedIn</a></span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">Among its members is Senegalese researcher <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adji_Bousso_Dieng" class="external external-icon" title="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adji_Bousso_Dieng" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Adji Bousso Dieng</a>, who tells RFI that Africa needs to develop its own AI or risk being left dependent on others.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: What is this new UN panel on AI meant to achieve?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">Adji Bousso Dieng:</span> AI is advancing at an unprecedented speed and is now entering many parts of our societies - our economies, science, politics and even culture. Many governments and decision-makers feel uncertain.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">They see the huge potential of AI, but they still struggle to fully understand its implications, how to use it for the common good and how to protect against its risks. That's why the UN created an independent scientific space. We do not work for any government or institution.</p><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;clear:both"></div><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">Our goal is to produce rigorous scientific analysis to guide public decisions. In the end, it is about rebalancing things so that AI governance and access to opportunities are not concentrated in the hands of a few actors, but benefit the whole international community.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20260326-eu-votes-to-ban-ai-nudifier-apps-after-deepfake-outrage" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20260326-eu-votes-to-ban-ai-nudifier-apps-after-deepfake-outrage" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">EU votes to ban AI 'nudifier' apps after explicit deepfake outrage</a></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: AI is clearly dominated by major companies, especially in the United States. What's your view on this?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> That is a reality. We keep hearing the same names - OpenAI, Anthropic, and now DeepSeek from China. Fortunately, other start-ups are emerging, including in <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/europe/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/europe/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Europe</a> with Mistral. But it is a problem that AI development is concentrated in the hands of these companies.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">AI has become a public good. Countries in the Global South should be able to develop their own AI, but they do not have the means. It requires huge resources in computing power, data and skills. So we need collaboration between nations, and this UN panel is a good way to start that work.</p><div style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;clear:both"></div><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: How is AI developing in Africa?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> There are communities working on AI, like Indaba, and companies are starting to use it. But I am not satisfied with how it is happening. Most systems come from outside, they are not developed locally. That creates problems, especially bias.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">Today's most powerful AI systems are trained mainly on Western data, which does not reflect the diversity of populations. We need local AI systems built with local context, so they can solve local problems. Many systems try to give one single "best" answer, but that can lead to repetitive and biased results.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">My research focuses on introducing diversity into AI, so it can explore multiple solutions and hypotheses. That is essential in science, because discovery is about exploring new ideas. We developed a mathematical tool called the 20-10 score to measure and guide this diversity, so AI becomes more exploratory, more creative and closer to scientific thinking.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: Is it possible to develop a pan-African AI?</span></p><div id="gmail-in-article-p-mid" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent"></div><div id="gmail-aans-body-mid" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent"></div><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> Yes, that is one of my goals. In many areas, we need a pan-African approach - but a practical one. Not just political slogans about sovereignty, but real collaboration to solve concrete problems in education, training and trade. We need this cooperation across the continent in all fields, including technology and AI.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: You have spoken about a form of digital colonisation in Africa. What do you mean by that?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> For example, companies go to countries like <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/kenya/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/kenya/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Kenya</a> to label data, which is needed to train AI systems. The working conditions are often not fair, people are not well paid and they can be exposed to traumatic content.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">There is no proper legal framework. That is a form of digital colonisation. There is also the issue of data sovereignty. Data can be used without compensation, and large companies benefit without paying Africans for their work.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: Are people and governments aware of these risks?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> I do not think so. There is a lot of enthusiasm for AI in Africa. People believe it will solve many problems - healthcare, education, jobs. But that is not entirely true. There is work to do to build local AI systems.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">Right now, Africa risks repeating what has happened with natural resources - being a consumer rather than a creator. And I do not think this is discussed enough, especially by governments.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20260127-ai-images-distort-memory-of-holocaust-experts-warn-as-survivor-numbers-shrink" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20260127-ai-images-distort-memory-of-holocaust-experts-warn-as-survivor-numbers-shrink" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">AI images 'distort memory' of Holocaust, experts warn, as survivor numbers shrink</a></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: You were born in Senegal, studied in France and now work in the United States. What has guided your journey?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> I have been very lucky to have experiences in <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/senegal/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/senegal/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Senegal</a>, France and the United States. What has stayed constant is my love of knowledge. I am very curious and passionate about science. The work we are doing at Princeton is something I truly believe in.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><br></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px">AI should not just be a prediction tool for chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini. It can become a partner in discovery, helping solve major global challenges. That is what motivates me.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: You founded the NGO The Africa I Know to encourage young people, especially girls, to go into science and AI. How does it work?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> The idea is to give young Africans the tools to become creators of technology, not just consumers. We do this through inspiration, with videos about Africans succeeding in AI and other STEM fields. We also run a summer camp.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/students/" class="external external-icon" title="https://www.rfi.fr/en/tag/students/" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:0px 0px;color:rgb(16,87,159);text-decoration-line:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Students</a> learn both the opportunities and limits of AI, then the basics, and then work in groups on a project to solve a local problem using AI. They are incredibly creative. It is important they build their own technologies, because they understand their communities' problems better than anyone else.</p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">RFI: Despite the risks, are you optimistic?</span></p><p class="gmail-story-body-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.75em;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);line-height:1.5;font-size:15px"><span style="box-sizing:border-box;font-weight:700;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent">ABD:</span> Yes, I am optimistic about using AI for science. Traditional research can take a long time. AI can speed up the discovery of new molecules or materials for energy, climate, health and agriculture.</p></div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.01);font-family:Arial,"Liberation Sans",sans-serif;font-weight:400">But there are also risks. Chatbots can be addictive and make people too dependent. There is a danger of losing critical thinking and creativity.</span></span></span></div>