Conversations around artificial intelligence are ever-present. If it’s not its positive features and resourcefulness, it’s the growing menace of issues like deepfakes and the need to implement legal structures to manage its criminal use. Despite these concerns, the advent of AI has undoubtedly made the world a better place, and for that, we owe much to trailblazers like Chinasa Okolo.

Chinasa is a Nigerian-American computer scientist and Brookings Institution fellow, recently named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in AI. As the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, she felt the weight of pursuing traditional, secure careers like Medicine or Engineering. However, witnessing firsthand how AI advances excluded and marginalised regions like Africa became a pivotal moment in her career path. 

Fresh from obtaining an MSc in Computer Science at Cornell University in 2021, Chinasa pursued a PhD in the same field at Cornell, focusing on how biased AI systems impact communities in the Global South.

“I initially transitioned into AI because I saw how computational techniques could advance biomedical research and democratise access to healthcare for marginalised communities,” she told TechCrunch. “During my last year of undergrad [at Pomona College], I began research with a human-computer interaction professor, which exposed me to the challenges of bias within AI. During my PhD, I became interested in understanding how these issues would impact people in the Global South, who represent a majority of the world’s population and are often excluded from and underrepresented in AI development.”

In August 2023, Chinasa joined the Brookings Institution where she has been exploring human-centred AI in the Global South by examining how African governments can enable effective AI governance, investigating the impact on data work in the Global South, and analysing algorithmic marginalisation in Africa. 

Ever since the turn of 2024, she has also been serving as a  Consulting Expert with the African Union, an Expert Contributor to the International AI Safety Report, and a Drafting Member of Nigeria’s National AI Strategy.

These career choices were deeply influenced by her passion for leveraging technology to address inequality and her commitment to ensuring that AI caters to the needs of all and sundry effectively.

“As a first-generation Nigerian American who grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and didn’t leave the States until studying abroad during undergrad, I always aimed to centre my career within Africa. Engaging in such impactful work so early in my career makes me excited to pursue similar opportunities to help shape inclusive, global AI governance,” she said. 

Beyond being named by Time in the second edition of their top 100 AI influential people, Chinasa has been recognised as a Global Top Futurist by the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent, a Trailblazer in Engineering, a Rising Star in Management Science & Engineering, and one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.