Awards

Africa Innovation Mradi Research Grants will examine the impact of AI on diverse communities across the continent, and also the needs of these communities.

Meet the grantees:

Cherie Oyier | Kenya
Cherie Oyier is a lawyer working on privacy and data protection law in Kenya. Oyier’s research project, “Deceptive Designs and Policy Holes Aiding Unethical Personal Data Collection for AI Training: Lessons from Worldcoin’s Iris Scan Practices in Kenya,” aims to identify effective solutions for economically vulnerable citizens, and best practices for ethical biometric data collection for AI training. Oyier’s objectives are to investigate the failures of existing systems to unearth frameworks which uphold privacy rights and promote sustainable development in Kenya.

HER Internet | Uganda
HER Internet is a feminist digital rights organisation based in Uganda. Their research project, “The impact of Algorithms on LGBTQ organising in Uganda,” aims to examine how algorithms, especially on social networking platforms, impact the advocacy and organising efforts of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities at individual and collective levels. This research considers the restrictive legal, policy, and social environments for the community — a trend found in a significant number of countries in the region.

Min'enhle Ncube | Zambia
Ncube is an anthropologist studying the landscape of technology, data, artificial intelligence and the ethics of care in Zambia. Ncube’s research project, “Artificial Intelligence in Maternal Health in Zambia: Examining the impact of digitised maternal technology,” aims to investigate the challenges and dangers posed by biased datasets in the delivery of quality and timely care to pregnant people, who are among the most vulnerable and the most impacted by AI-led decision-making.

Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to end violence against women, or TLAC | South Africa

TLAC is a non-governmental organisation based in South Africa working since 1996 to promote and defend the rights of women to be free from violence and to have access to high-quality, effective services. TLAC aims to produce “A gendered analysis of women’s access to AI and its impact on gender-based violence in the Eastern Cape, South Africa,” in order to better understand how AI is implicated in experiences of gender-based violence, as well as remedies to gender-based violence.

Creatives Garage Trust | Kenya

Creatives Garage is a multi-disciplinary arts organization in Kenya that provides a platform for creatives to share, collaborate, create new works, gain market access and push boundaries. Their research project “ARTificial Intelligence in Africa: Investigating the impacts of AI on the Creative Community in Kenya,” will use the experience of Kenyan creatives to explore whether AI can democratize the creative industries in the region. It will examine whether AI generates new opportunities for African creatives, but also interrogate how it might exacerbate inequalities and further disenfranchise creatives.

Duduetsang Mokoele | South Africa

Dudetsang Mokoele is a South Africa-based researcher interested in human rights and technology trends and developments, with a particular focus on policy-making. Her research, “Mind the People: Automating Social Security in South Africa,” looks at the role of AI in the provision of social security in South Africa, and its overall human rights implications.

Kabulonga Multi-purpose Disability Cooperative | Zambia

Kabulonga Cooperative is a Zambia-based organisation that works to promote and protect the rights of people living with disabilities. Their research project will explore “AI and Inclusive Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in Zambia and Zimbabwe: Challenges and Success Stories.” The research aims to analyze the results of the implementation of AI-powered initiatives intended to integrate and empower persons living with disabilities in the workplace. It will map both successes as well as harms emerging from these systems.