Beyond the Classroom: How AI is Reshaping African Education

40 minutes

In this first episode of a special series of the Embedded Podcast in Rwanda, host Zain Verjee sits down with Tonee Ndungu, a pioneering EdTech entrepreneur who is transforming education across Africa through AI-powered learning tools. From his personal journey with dyslexia to founding Kytabu, Tonee shares insights on how AI is reshaping education on the continent and creating opportunities for millions of students. The conversation explores the development of wearable AI assistants for both students and teachers, strategies for building African language models, and how entrepreneurs can leverage AI to build billion-dollar businesses from the continent despite infrastructure challenges. Produced in partnership with The Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial and recorded at the Global AI Summit on Africa from April 3rd -4th, 2025.

Language AI as Critical Infrastructure for Africa's Digital Sovereignty

30 minutes

In this second episode of a special series of the Embedded podcast, host Zain Verjee speaks with Prof. Vukosi Marivate about the critical role of language in creating AI systems that serve African communities authentically. As a leading figure in machine learning and natural language processing in Africa, Prof. Marivate shares insights on developing AI for low-resource languages, preserving cultural context, and ensuring ethical approaches to data collection. The conversation explores how grassroots initiatives like Masakhane Research Foundation and companies like Lelapa AI are working to ensure African languages aren't left behind in the AI revolution. Produced in partnership with The Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and recorded at the Global AI Summit on Africa from April 3rd-4th, 2025.

Inside Rwanda's AI Blueprint

20 minutes

In this third episode of a special series of the Embedded podcast, host Zain Verjee speaks with Hon. Paula Ingabire about Rwanda's strategic approach to artificial intelligence. As the Minister of ICT and Innovation, Ingabire shares insights on how Rwanda is positioning itself as a leader in Africa's AI landscape, focusing on talent development, investment attraction, and ethical frameworks. The conversation explores Rwanda's partnerships with educational institutions, the launch of their AI scaling hub, and how the country is addressing the urban-rural divide through technology. Recorded at the Global AI Summit on Africa in partnership with The Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this episode offers a glimpse into Rwanda's vision for becoming a testing ground for AI solutions tailored to African contexts.

Data Sovereignty & Building Up Africa’s AI Ecosystem

30 minutes

In this fourth episode of a special series of the Embedded podcast, host Zain Verjee speaks with Kate Kallot about building the fundamental data infrastructure needed for Africa's AI revolution. As the founder and CEO of Amini AI, Kallot shares her journey to being one of the continent's leading AI innovators, and explains how her company is addressing the critical data scarcity that has historically hindered development across Africa. This conversation explores the challenges of breaking data silos between African nations, ensuring data sovereignty, and creating accessible pathways for women in AI. Recorded at the Global AI Summit on Africa in partnership with The Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this episode provides insight into how purpose-built African data systems can transform sectors from agriculture to finance while ensuring that AI benefits are equitably distributed.

Reshaping Work: AI's Revolution in Skills & Opportunity

27 minutes

On this episode of Embedded, Zain is joined by Aneesh Raman, LinkedIn's Chief Economic Opportunity Officer, for a discussion about the future of work in the AI era. He discusses the trends he's been witnessing since the AI boom and breaks down some of the skills and qualities that will be most valuable for employers in an AI economy. How can AI be leveraged to create more efficient and personalised systems to match opportunity more effecttively with with skills? What will the impact of AI be on jobs? And how can we create a more equitable work environment, addressing existing biases and lowering barriers to entrepreneurship for marginalised groups? We tackle the crunchy questions on Embedded.

Ethics by Design: Building Equitable AI Systems

30 minutes

For this episode of Embedded Zain is joined by Rashida Richardson, a law and technology policy expert and Senior Counsel at MasterCard, where they discuss some of the ways AI systems reflect racial and cultural biases we see in society. Rashida also shares some of the policy interventions, governance, and training needed to tackle challenges like "dirty data" that we see in AI development, and gives her insights on how you can ensure responsible use. The conversation also explores the current legal landscape around AI, and specifically its implications when it comes to civil rights. Some really great insights here you don't want to miss, give it a listen!

Ubuntu AI: African Philosophy Meets Artificial Intelligence

29 minutes

Zain Verjee sits down with Wakanyi Hoffman, Storyteller and Indigenous Knowledge Scholar, to explore a much needed crossover: Ubuntu ethics and Artificial Intelligence. In this episode we deep dive into the continent's rich storytelling traditions and how we can embed the values and concept of Ubuntu to provide an ethical framework for building AI systems. One in which indigenous communities can take ownership of their own stories. Through the lens of Ubuntu ethics, they discuss how indigenous knowledge systems could provide the ethical framework needed for truly inclusive AI development, particularly in Africa. The conversation reveals practical approaches to incorporating African values and storytelling traditions into AI systems while addressing crucial questions about data sovereignty and digital colonization.

An Embedded x TechCabal crossover. Our host, Zain spoke to two African entrepreneurs whose startups are doing incredible things with AI on the continent. Megan Yates from Zindi and Clinton Oduor from Amini share their insights into how AI is solving local problems, from supporting smallholder farmers to building data ecosystems that support innovation and learning. Building AI in Africa won't be easy, and in this episode we discuss what needs to be done around data protection, AI regulation, and skilling up.

Lost in Translation: Building AI for Africa's Languages

28 minutes

In this episode of Embedded, host Zain Verjee speaks with Asme Teka Hadgu, co-founder and CTO of Lesan AI, about the critical challenge of language accessibility in artificial intelligence. Based in Berlin, Lesan AI is pioneering machine translation for Ethiopian languages, notably outperforming tech giants in Amharic and Tigrinya translations. Asme discusses their unique approach to data collection, working directly with communities to preserve linguistic authenticity, and the broader implications of language barriers in AI development. The conversation explores how AI can be leveraged to preserve and revitalize low-resource languages while ensuring ethical development and cultural preservation.

Democratizing AI: A Recipe for AI-Powered Growth & Entrepreneurship

30 minutes

In this episode of Embedded, host Zain Verjee explores how generative AI can empower entrepreneurs in emerging markets to scale smarter, faster, and more inclusively. Rembrand Koning shares insights from his groundbreaking work at Harvard's Tech for All Lab, where they're studying how entrepreneurs can harness AI to benefit humanity. From WhatsApp-integrated AI advisors to partnerships in Southeast Asia, discover how AI could democratize access to business mentorship and transform entrepreneurship in emerging markets.

Africa's AI Roadmap: Sovereignty, Strategy & Building Local Solutions

27 minutes

In this episode of Embedded, host Zain Verjee speaks with Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo, a Governance Studies Fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation. As a computer science expert specializing in the impact of AI on the Global South, Dr. Okolo shares her experience consulting with the African Union on their Artificial Intelligence Continental Strategy. The conversation explores the unique challenges Africa faces with AI adoption, the importance of data sovereignty, tackling misinformation, and building AI systems that truly represent African values and contexts. From healthcare applications to language models, Dr. Okolo offers insights on how Africa can chart its own course in AI development while addressing persistent issues of bias and representation.

Compassionate Storytelling & Using AI to Preserve Cultural Narratives

40 minutes

In this episode of Embedded, host Zain Verjee explores the intersection of AI, immersive media, and authentic cultural storytelling with pioneering director Michaela Ternasky-Holland. As one of the first directors to work with OpenAI's Sora platform, Michaela shares her journey from Disney performer to Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, and how she uses emerging technologies to preserve cultural narratives while avoiding exploitation. The conversation delves into her concept of "compassionate storytelling," the technical aspects of working with generative AI, and how these tools can be used to reclaim cultural histories that have been erased or forgotten. From her work with Philippine mythology to practical prompt engineering techniques, Michaela offers valuable insights for creators in emerging markets looking to harness AI for authentic storytelling.