Technomoral Conversations: What the Majority World Can Teach Us about AI
19th November 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
Artificial Intelligence models ‘learn’ and reproduce biases as a result of their training data, which is largely drawn from websites based in the US and other Western countries, and is heavily skewed towards English language sources. At the same time, the work of training AI models and making them ‘safer’ for human consumption is outsourced to precarious and under-supported workers in developing countries. Tech companies in Silicon Valley and Western governments such as the EU currently dominate the global conversation on AI. Yet there is much that the Majority World has to teach us about AI, and this perspective is too often marginalised in the discussion of what a future with AI ought to look like. In this Technomoral Conversations panel, we will hear from leading voices from the Majority World on what they have learned from and about AI, and the issues and visions they would like to see taken up more broadly as society grapples with the social and ethical implications of these emerging technologies.
Speaker Biographies
Tarcizio Silva is a researcher based in São Paulo and focused on promoting decolonial and afrodiasporic lenses to understand and influence internet, A.I. and emergent technologies governance. They are a Tech Policy Senior Fellow at Mozilla Foundation and PhD candidate at UFABC. http://tarciziosilva.com
Kingsley Owadara (He/Him) is the founder and an AI Ethicist at the Pan-Africa Center for AI Ethics, a dedicated not-for-profit organization committed to fostering the development and deployment of AI in a manner that prioritizes human-centric values. At the heart of his role, he spearheads the initiative to craft and refine ethical frameworks, ensuring that artificial intelligence technologies are developed and deployed with a strong emphasis on human values, ethics, and inclusivity.
In the year 2023, Kingsley assumed a pivotal leadership role within the Ethics Cluster of the Volunteer Expert Group (VEG), tasked with the monumental project of developing Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Policy. This endeavor aimed at integrating ethical considerations into the foundation of Nigeria’s AI policy, marking a significant step towards responsible AI development in the country.
Beyond his contributions to policy development, Kingsley has been an active voice in the AI ethics community, engaging in numerous projects, dialogues, and advocacy efforts. His work focuses on promoting a human-centered approach to AI across its lifecycle—from design and training to deployment and practical application—specifically within the African context. His expertise and insights have not only enriched national conversations but have also drawn international attention.
Kingsley’s influence extends across continents through his participation in global conferences. He has been a featured speaker at prestigious events such as the 23rd World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Sydney, Australia, where he addressed critical issues related to AI and workplace
safety. At the Sustainability AI Lab in Bonn, Germany, he presented compelling arguments for leveraging AI in sustainable development initiatives within Africa.
His engagements across Africa, Europe, and Australia highlight his dedication to fostering a global
dialogue on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Kingsley Owadara’s work not only amplifies the importance of ethical considerations in AI but also serves as a beacon for responsible AI development that truly benefits humanity.
Professor Shannon Vallor is the Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) at the University of Edinburgh, where she is also appointed in Philosophy. She directs the Centre for Technomoral Futures in EFI, and is co-Director of the UKRI’s BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides) programme. Professor Vallor’s research explores how AI, robotics, and data science reshape human moral character, habits, and practices. Her work includes advising policymakers and industry on the ethical design and use of AI, and she is a former Visiting Researcher and AI Ethicist at Google. She is the author of Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting (Oxford University Press, 2016) and The AI Mirror: Reclaiming Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking (Oxford University Press, 2024).
