– TechCrunch is publishing profiles of remarkable women academics in AI throughout the year
– Chinasa T. Okolo is a fellow at the Brookings Institution with a focus on AI ethics
– Issues facing AI include equitable representation, climate impact, and overstatement of AI capabilities, among others.
TechCrunch is highlighting women who have contributed to the AI revolution through a series of interviews, shedding light on their remarkable work that often goes unrecognized. Chinasa T. Okolo, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, has recently received her Ph.D. in computer science from Cornell University and has been involved in various AI policy and ethics advisory roles.
Okolo transitioned into AI to advance biomedical research and democratize healthcare access for marginalized communities. She is proud of her work with the African Union in developing the AU-AI Continental Strategy for Africa. Okolo navigates the challenges of the male-dominated tech and AI industries by finding community with like-minded individuals and being inspired by Black women scholars leading the way in responsible AI research.
Okolo advises women entering the AI field not to be intimidated by a lack of technical background, as the field requires expertise from various domains. Some of the pressing issues facing AI include improving equitable representation of non-Western cultures, environmental impacts from building larger models, and overstatement of AI tool capabilities. Investors can push for responsible AI by advocating for ethical development practices and investing in AI expertise to vet companies.
As the AI industry continues to grow, it is important for individuals to seek reputable sources for information and to be critical of misleading voices and discussions surrounding AI. The responsibility lies with developers, investors, academics, and society as a whole to ensure that AI is developed and used in a responsible and ethical manner.