Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
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chinasa.bsky.social
Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
@chinasa.bsky.social
6.1K followers 43 following 550 posts
AI Researcher, Policy Strategist, & Technorealist. Founder, Technēculturǎ.
Columnist, Science Magazine.
Cornell Computer Science PhD.
TIME100 AI. Forbes Under 30 AI.
Critically examining global equity in AI.

👩🏾‍💻: www.chinasatokolo.com
📩: bit.ly/contactCTO
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chinasa.bsky.social
Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo @chinasa.bsky.social · Nov 15
Hey everyone! I'm Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo, a human-centered AI researcher and tech policy strategist.

I'm dedicated to improving global equity in AI and my work focuses on how to democratize AI research, innovation, and governance.

www.chinasatokolo.com
A side view of a panel with Chinasa speaking into a handheld microphone. She is gesturing and wearing a silver suit, has black curly braids. There are five people sitting on the stage and she is 2nd from the left. Chinasa is speaking into a microphone and gesturing with her left hand. She is seated in-between two other panelists (both male-presenting). She is wearing a gray dress with a white puffy-sleeved dress shirt underneath. Chinasa is speaking on a stage and standing behind a podium. Behind her is a screen depicting a map of India and South Asia with graphics of technical code overlaid on it. To the far right of an image is a sign language interpreter.
chinasa.bsky.social
" 'Safe and Trusted AI' is one of the chakras for the summit, but while the summit treats it as one distinct theme, AI safety should not be thought of as optional. Rather, it is essential to the achievement of the other chakras."

www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-at...
Safety should be front and center in India’s vision for its AI Impact Summit
Despite the headline attention on impact, safety needs to be fundamental to India’s vision for artificial intelligence that engenders trust, inclusion, and empowerment.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
November 27, 2025 at 4:03 AM
chinasa.bsky.social
It’s almost December, and I've just been bitten by a mosquito. I thought they’d be hibernating or dead by now…D.C. is different 😅
November 26, 2025 at 10:17 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
I'll speak at a webinar for the French Development Agency later this week on technology-facilitated gender-based violence and policy mechanisms needed to shape a safer digital future.

Date: Thursday, November 27th
Time: 2:00 - 3:15 PM CET/ 8:00 - 9:15 AM EST

Register: www.afd.fr/en/events/te...
A flyer for a webinar from the French Development Agency "TechTalks How Technology Facilitates Gender-Based Violence and What We Can Do About It" There are headshots for the four panelists (including Chinasa) and the moderator. There is also information on the panel date and time.
November 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
sabrinafernandes.com
COP30 overpromised, underdelivered, empowered distractions, backtracked on issues and once again gave big oil and big ag a free pass.

Unfortunately, the suspicions of climate scientists (here in Brazil and abroad) were confirmed again.
November 22, 2025 at 7:47 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
"The arts remind us that none of the current truisms are absolutes—that there are other ways of living, existing, and being. Arts can exist outside of a tech lord’s algorithm."

www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-...
The Artist Who Reminds Us that Another Way Is Possible
The late artist Abigail McGrath cultivated a creative life for herself filled with freedom, joy, and a commitment to beauty. In an age of authoritarianism and algorithms, it’s a kind of life worth pro...
www.harpersbazaar.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
tressiemcphd.bsky.social
It’s blowing my mind that schools, universities, public services would run headlong into this. We spent 15 years documenting black boxes. This is a black box in a black hole!
hbcompass.bsky.social Heather Bryant @hbcompass.bsky.social · 3d
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
dytsras.bsky.social
Rest in Power to Mother Viola Ford Fletcher.

111 years, the oldest survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.

She never got the justice she deserved

www.fox23.com/news/mother-...
Mother Viola Fletcher passes away at 111 years old
TULSA, Okla. — Mayor Monroe Nichols announced the passing of one of the two last remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Mother Viola Fletcher.
www.fox23.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
devawo.bsky.social
341,000 Black women are still missing from the labor force since the pandemic began. This is the most educated female cohort in the country, and more than half are breadwinners for households with children. Erasing their economic participation undercuts today’s stability and tomorrow’s workforce.
November 23, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
devawo.bsky.social
Since February, according to my latest analysis, almost 600,000 Black women have been economically sidelined. The November 20, 2025, Jobs Report makes clear this isn’t a blip. It’s a structural crisis. That is not a recovery. It is a redistribution of opportunity.
The exit economy is here. Black Women are paying the highest price | Fortune
This isn’t a blip. It’s a structural crisis. And it's not a recovery, it's a redistribution of opportunity.
fortune.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:49 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Digital economy ministers across West and Central Africa gathered in Cotonou, Benin, releasing the Cotonou Declaration to advance Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

www.worldbank.org/en/news/stat...
Regional Summit on Digital Transformation in Western and Central africa - Cotonou Declaration
We, Ministers responsible for the Digital Economy of the Member States of West and Central Africa, gathered in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, reaffirm our shared commitment to accelerate digital transfor...
www.worldbank.org
November 24, 2025 at 10:45 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
"A draft executive order has recently been circulated that addresses state laws regulating artificial intelligence. The order would implement a strategy to limit, challenge, and potentially preempt the authority of states to regulate AI."

www.citizen.org/article/lega...
Legal Analysis of Leaked Draft AI Preemption Executive Order - Public Citizen
A draft executive order (EO) has recently been circulated that addresses state laws regulating artificial intelligence (AI). The order would…
www.citizen.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:36 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Still wondering how many other people in D.C. were woken up at 5 AM yesterday (*a Sunday morning*) due to the government's continued aviation antics over the past week 🙄
November 24, 2025 at 6:58 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
"The state-run Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence has opened a satellite lab in Sunnyvale, California, recruiting researchers from top U.S. universities and major tech firms to build AI models that rival American and Chinese systems."

restofworld.org/2025/what-th...
What the UAE is doing in Silicon Valley
The California research lab is part of Abu Dhabi’s multipronged AI strategy that includes G42 and the MBZ University of AI.
restofworld.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:40 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
I finally watched Sinners on my flight from Zurich, and all I can say is I need a prequel and sequel ASAP.
November 22, 2025 at 5:45 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Looking forward to reading this edition. As a Nigerian living abroad, and deeply tuned into Twitter discourse and news on the country, I’m extremely concerned.
thecontinent.org The Continent @thecontinent.org · 5d
All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 221 of The Continent

Nigeria’s security crisis deepens: 26 girls abducted in Kebbi State, more kidnappings elsewhere, and a top general killed — symptoms of a long-running, underfunded, corruption-riddled breakdown.

More inside: bit.ly/221_TC
The cover of The Continent features a powerful, unsettling political cartoon. It shows a giant, damaged statue of a Nigerian military general. The statue is cracked, stained with blood, and full of bullet holes, symbolising the collapse of state security. The general’s head is missing, and someone has placed a bright purple-and-yellow traditional cap on top of the neck stump. The statue’s right arm is raised in a salute. Hanging from that arm is the body of a person who has been lynched. On the statue’s shoulder sits a small man — his posture slumped, arms around his knees, head bowed. The base of the statue carries an inscription: “ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.” All around the monument is violent chaos. The ground is littered with broken stone pieces from the statue, bones, papers, and bodies. Blood splatters cover the ground and parts of the monument. To the left, a masked man swings a bloodied machete at people who are cowering on the ground. On the right, armed men point rifles at terrified civilians; one person is shown attempting to flee. Near the bottom-right corner, two well-dressed men — one in ceremonial military dress, the other in a suit — exchange a briefcase, suggesting corruption even amid widespread violence. The statue’s broken head lies beside them, cracked and discarded. The headline reads: “Nigeria’s security is in shambles.” The illustration is by Gado.
November 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
afrobarometer.bsky.social
It's happening: The G20 is finally in Africa.

But are African voices getting heard in global organisations? What about at the African Union and in regional bodies?

Read our latest piece in @thecontinent.org to see what citizens across 38 African countries have to say.

#VoicesAfrica #G20
November 22, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
ence.bsky.social
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.

We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.

washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
A think tank asked me to participate in a “brainstorming session” with fellows from their organization for a research project I’m not a collaborator on, and once I inquired about approaching this equitably, it’s been crickets ever since 🤷🏾‍♀️
November 21, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Reposted by Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
imagine knowing literally anything about Haiti and deciding to try this
redeyedjedi.bsky.social Jason E. Dunlap, Valeyard @redeyedjedi.bsky.social · 6d
Gavin and Tanner, planned and trained for nearly a year, legal documents say, in an elaborate attempt to invade a Haitian island, kill its Black men, enslave its Black women and Black children and fulfill their "rape fantasies."

www.fox4news.com/news/haitian...
NTX men planned to murder men, enslave women on foreign island: Indictment
Two North Texas men have been indicted for an alleged scheme to sail to a foreign island, murder all the men, and enslave the women and children.
www.fox4news.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:28 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
This is horrifying. Science communication is so essential.
pewresearch.org Pew Research Center @pewresearch.org · 7d
A majority of U.S. adults (59%) say they don’t want to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. This is roughly identical to the share who said in October 2024 that they probably wouldn’t get the updated vaccine.
A series of blue and green stacked horizontal bars on a chart showing that about 6 in 10 Americans say they don’t want to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine and opinions differ by age and political affiliation
November 20, 2025 at 2:25 AM
chinasa.bsky.social
"Two-thirds of new data centers built or in development since 2022 are in places already gripped by high levels of water stress.”

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
The AI Boom Is Draining Water From the Areas That Need It Most
A Bloomberg News analysis finds that roughly two thirds of new data centers built or in development in the US since 2022 are in places with high levels of water stress.
www.bloomberg.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:15 AM
chinasa.bsky.social
"In the African context, establishing forums for situated AI discourse is critical, because the history of knowledge politics...is mired in a history of material dispossession, knowledge reappropriation and disregard for Indigenous value systems."

www.globalcenter.ai/the-algorith...
The Algorithmic Review - Introducing Ideas from the Palaver Tree: The Necessity of African Pedagogies on Artificial Intelligence
Africa's leading voice in AI policy and governance, working globally to shape fair and inclusive technologies.
www.globalcenter.ai
November 19, 2025 at 8:17 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
I actually made a privacy request with the company running that program last month, and they didn't have my information on file.

Kinda surprising given that I take ~100 flights a year.
An email response recieved from ARC Privacy (company selling passenger flight data) after Chinasa made a privacy request that says: "We have received your request regarding the retention, use, and/or deletion of your personal information. We take your privacy seriously and are committed to complying with applicable data protection laws. We have repeatedly searched our files and are unable to locate any of your personal information in our system. Any information you provided for verification will not be used for any other purposes and will be deleted. If you have any further questions or concerns, please reply to this message."
November 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Reading this story about a woman falsely accusing her astronaut wife of illegally accessing her bank account from the International Space Station made me chuckle a bit 🤣

www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr...
Far Out: woman guilty of false reports of illegal bank account access from International Space Station
A 50-year-old resident of Sedgwick County, Kansas, has pleaded guilty to lying to law enforcement
www.justice.gov
November 18, 2025 at 6:41 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
The Africa AI Council has been unveiled, and 6/8 of the "independent" members are associated with tech companies or large telecom operators 🤨

smartafrica.org/the-smart-af...
The Smart Africa’s Board Unveils the inaugural Africa AI Council to Lead the Continent’s AI Transformation – Smart Africa
smartafrica.org
November 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM