To give female scholars and others focused on AI the spotlight they deserve and overdue, TechCrunch is launching a series of interviews focusing on the extraordinary women who have contributed to the AI revolution.
Charlette N'Guessan is Head of Data Solutions and Ecosystems at Amini, a deep tech startup leveraging space technology and artificial intelligence to address environmental data scarcity in Africa and the Global South.
She co-founded and led the product development of Bace API, a secure identity verification system that leverages AI-based facial recognition technology to combat online identity fraud and address facial recognition bias in African contexts. She is also an AI expert consultant to the African Union High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies and participates in the AU-AI Continental Strategy titled “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Socio-Economic Development in Africa”, which focuses on shaping the AI governance landscape in Africa. there is.
N'Guessan has also co-authored several publications and is the first female recipient of the African Engineering Innovation Award presented by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
In a nutshell, how did you get started in AI? What drew you to this field?
I have an engineering background through formal and informal education. I have always been passionate about using technology to build solutions that can have a positive impact on our communities. This ambition led me to move to Ghana in 2017, where I aimed to learn about the English-speaking market and begin my journey as a tech entrepreneur.
During the development of the startup, my former co-founders and I conducted market research to identify problems in the financial sector, which resulted in online identity fraud. We then decided to build a safe, reliable and effective solution that would help financial institutions bridge the gap in serving unbanked people in remote areas and building trust online. This resulted in a software solution that leverages facial recognition and AI technologies tailored to help organizations handle online client identity verification while training models with data representative of African markets. This was my first involvement in the AI industry. In 2023, despite our efforts, we encountered a variety of challenges that could prevent us from commercializing our products in the market. But this experience made me determined to continue working in the AI field.
The reason I was attracted to AI was to realize its enormous power as a tool to solve social problems. Once you understand the technology, you can see its potential to solve a wide range of problems. This understanding fueled my passion for AI and continues to drive my work in the field today.
What work in AI are you most proud of?
I am very proud of my journey as a deep tech entrepreneur. Building an AI-based startup in Africa is not easy. So for those who have started this journey, this is an important achievement. This experience has been an important milestone in my professional career, and I am grateful for the challenges and opportunities it has brought.
Today, I'm proud of the work I'm doing at Amini, which is solving the data shortage problem on the African continent. Having faced this challenge as a former founder, I am extremely grateful to have been able to work with such inspiring and talented problem solvers. Today, my team and I developed a solution that leverages space technology and AI to build a data infrastructure to make data accessible and understandable. Our work is game-changing and an important starting point for more data-driven products to emerge in African markets.
How can we navigate the challenges of the male-dominated technology industry and, by extension, the male-dominated AI industry?
In fact, the situations we face in the industry today have been shaped by social prejudices and gender stereotypes. This is a social mindset that has been cultivated over many years. Most women working in AI have probably heard at least once that they are in the wrong industry because they are expected to be A, B, C, and D.
Why should we choose? Why should society dictate our paths? It is important to remember that women have made incredible contributions to science, creating some of the most impactful technological advances that society benefits from today. This shows what women can achieve when given training and resources.
I know it takes time to change your mindset, but you can't wait. We must continue to encourage girls to study science and embrace careers in AI. To be honest, the progress we have made over the past few years has given me hope. I believe that ensuring equal opportunity in the industry will lead to more women taking on AI roles, and that giving women greater access to leadership positions will accelerate the shift toward gender balance in male-dominated industries.
What advice would you give to women looking to enter the AI field?
Focus on your studies and acquire the skills you need in the AI field. Understand that the industry expects you to demonstrate your abilities more compellingly than your male colleagues. Frankly speaking, investing in your skills is very important and gives you a solid foundation. I believe this will not only increase your confidence in seizing opportunities, but will also strengthen your resilience and professional growth.
What are the most pressing issues facing AI as it advances?
Some of the most pressing issues facing AI as it evolves include clarifying its short- and long-term impacts on humans. This is currently being discussed globally due to the uncertainty surrounding emerging technologies. We have witnessed impressive applications of AI in industries across the world, including Africa, especially with the recent advancements in generative AI solutions and the ability of AI models to process vast amounts of data with minimal latency, making AI models packed with diverse capabilities. I also saw a car. Prejudice and hallucinations. It is undeniable that the world is moving towards a more AI-centric future. However, several questions remain unanswered and need to be addressed.
- What is the future of humans in the AI loop?
- What is the appropriate approach for regulators to define policies and laws to mitigate the risks of AI models?
- What does AI Responsibility and Ethical Framework mean?
- Who is responsible for the results of AI models?
What are some issues AI users need to be aware of?
I want to remind people that we are all AI users before any other title. Each of us interacts with AI solutions in different ways, either directly or through people (e.g. family, friends, etc.) using various devices. That's why understanding the technology itself is important. One of the things you need to know is that most AI solutions on the market require data, and as users, we have a curiosity to understand how much control we are giving machines over our data. When considering using AI solutions, consider the data privacy and security provided by the platform. This is very important for your protection.
There has also been a lot of interest in generative AI content. However, it is important to be careful about what you create using these tools and distinguish between real and fake content. For example, social media users are facing a proliferation of deepfake-generated content, serving as an example of how these tools can be misused by those with malicious intent. Always check the source before sharing any content you create to avoid any issues.
Finally, it is important to keep in mind that AI users are overly reliant on these tools. Some individuals can become addicted, and we have seen instances of users taking negative action based on recommendations from AI chat. It is important to remember that AI models can produce inaccurate results due to social bias or other factors. In the long term, users must strive to maintain their independence to avoid potential mental health issues that may arise from unethical AI tools.
What is the best way to build AI responsibly?
This is an interesting topic. As a consultant specializing in AI, I work with the African Union's High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies, focusing on drafting the AU-AI Continental Strategy with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and relevant countries. The goal of the strategy is to guide AU Member States to recognize the value of AI for economic growth and develop a framework to support the development of AI solutions while protecting Africans. Here are some key principles I always consider when building responsible AI for African markets:
- context matters: Ensure that the model is diverse and inclusive to address social discrimination based on gender, region, race, age, etc.
- accessibility: Can users access the solution? For example, how to ensure that people living in remote areas can benefit from the solution.
- responsibility: Specifies who is responsible if model results are biased or potentially harmful.
- explainability: Make sure your stakeholders can understand the AI model results.
- Data Privacy and Safety: Have data privacy and safety policies in place to protect your users and ensure they comply with existing laws in the jurisdictions where you operate.
How can investors better drive responsible AI?
Ideally, every AI company should have an ethical framework as an essential requirement to be considered for investment. However, one of the challenges is that many investors may lack knowledge and understanding of AI technology. What I learned is that AI-based products do not undergo the same investment risk assessment as other technology products on the market.
To address these challenges, investors must look beyond trends and deeply evaluate solutions at both a technical and impact level. This may include working with industry experts to better understand the technical aspects of AI solutions and their potential impact in the short and long term.
