AI Is Learning. But About Africa? | Francis Odeyemi | TEDxOsogbo

Does AI know Africa? A TEDxOsogbo talk by Francis Odeyemi questions how much of the continent is represented in the datasets that shape today's AI systems. The talk argues that data is power and that if Africa does not teach AI about itself, others will, with consequences for whether the continent is part of the future conversation. Odeyemi draws on his work with Ninthgrid, a platform connecting African photographers with brands seeking authentic, Afrocentric imagery.

• Representation of Africa in AI training datasets
• Data as a source of power and influence
• Ninthgrid and authentic Afrocentric imagery for African photographers and brands

How much of Africa actually exists in the datasets shaping today's AI? This talk makes the case that data is power, and that if Africa doesn't teach AI who it is, someone else will, with consequences for whether the continent is even part of the future conversation. Francis Odeyemi is a product and brand design leader and the founder of Ninthgrid, often called the "Shutterstock for Africa," a platform giving African photographers a way to earn from authentic, Afrocentric imagery while supplying brands with visual content that actually reflects the continent. Over more than a decade, he has built digital products across Nigeria, the UK, and the US, and is a Y Combinator Startup School alumnus with executive education from Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Through Ninthgrid, he has watched firsthand what happens when an AI model is asked to picture Africa, and how little of the continent actually exists in the datasets shaping today's AI. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx