Ubuntu AI: African Philosophy Meets Artificial Intelligence

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.

Wakanyi Hoffman

Wakanyi is an author, African Indigenous Knowledge scholar, and global speaker of Ubuntu philosophy. Her diverse intercultural experiences as a global nomad have enriched her perspective on the human condition. She is a “global nomad”, currently splitting her time between the Netherlands and Germany. At The New Institute in Hamburg, Wakanyi is involved in the program "Conceptions of Human Flourishing"