MozFest's signature speaker series at MozFest House Kenya will explore the landscape of AI in Africa in terms of: labor, content moderation, marginalization and structural interventions.

Dialogues & Debates is MozFest's speakers series where dynamic conversations of the most critical issues around technology and AI are brought to the festival's main stage.

On September 21 and 22, we'll host pressing conversations that unpack the precariousness of labor and content moderation, confront the impact technology has in furthering the marginalization of people, and examine structural interventions in AI across Africa.

You can watch the Dialogues and Debates panels on Mozilla's LinkedIn page, Mozilla Festival Plaza, and YouTube.

Below, learn more about our Dialogues & Debates speakers and the schedule:

Keynote by Daniel Motaung | Thursday, September 21 @ 11am EAT

Meta whistleblower Daniel Motaung is a former content moderator and unionizer, working towards a fairer future of digital work on the African continent. Almost a year after he blew the whistle and sued Meta for worker exploitation, neglect, and union busting, Motaung will be speaking at MozFest House Kenya on Thursday, September 21, 2023.

The keynote will be followed by a conversation with Mozilla’s Koliwe Majama, Senior Program Officer, where they will delve into the precarious labor web surrounding content moderation work and the solutions he envisions for the future of social media. RSVP & watch live here.

Daniel Motaung

Daniel Motaung, Former Facebook Content Moderator turned Whistleblower

Koliwe Majama

Koliwe Majama, Senior Program Officer, Mozilla

Confronting the Margins | Thursday September 21 @ 3:30pm EAT

Artificial Intelligence is the technology of this time, and like all precedents, it can deepen gaps of access, labor, knowledge and marginalization along intersecting identities such as gender and disability or be part of the solutions to close those gaps. The panel will explore the role technology plays in shaping the realities of African communities and question tactics of disinformation and misinformation, beyond elections, in amplifying marginalization. The panel will also offer possibilities to claim agency over the technology in order to intervene on and reshape the African digital landscape. RSVP & Watch live here.

A panel featuring:

Sandra Kwikiriza

Sandra Kwikiriza, Founder and Executive Director of HER Internet

Lawrence Mute

Lawrence Mute, Human Rights Lawyer and Practitioner

Weam Shawgi Hassan

Weam Shawgi Hassan, Sudanese Feminist and Gender Defender

Harvey Binamu

Harvey Binamu, Tech Officer, Magamba Network

Roselyn Odoyo

And moderator Roselyn Odoyo, Senior Program Officer, Mozilla

Understanding Structural Interventions in AI | Friday, September 22 @ 11am EAT

Structural interventions encompass a broad range of policies, initiatives, and actions that are designed to address AI gaps and challenges and pave the way for growth. The panel will unpack certain interventions in AI in Africa, and consider over-centralization, unequal access to resources, and the nuances of ethical dilemmas. RSVP & watch live here.

 A panel featuring:

Bridget Andere

Bridget Andere, Senior Policy Analyst at Access Now

Shaun Pather

Shaun Pather, Professor at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Phumzile Van Damme

Phumzile Van Damme, Independent Consultant & Expert in Combating Disinformation

Bright Simons

Bright Simons, President of mPedigree

Chenai Chair

And moderator Chenai Chair, Senior Program Officer, Africa Mradi, Mozilla