Reimagining AI as a Human Endeavor: The Human Aspects of AI and LLMs in Africa

LAGOSTECH’s panel “Reimagining AI as a Human Endeavor” brought students and scholars together to spotlight the hidden labour, cultural contexts, and decolonial possibilities behind AI and LLMs in Africa. From Folami’s story of data annotation to debates on history, identity, and cultural preservation, the event reminded us that AI is made—and can be remade—by people.

🗓 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Friday, August 16, 2025
⏰ 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 12:00 PM (noon)
📍 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: University of Lagos, Faculty of Arts — RM 401

What an inspiring day at Unilag! Thank you to everyone — students, scholars, and guests — who joined the LAGOSTECH panel, “Reimagining AI as a Human Endeavor: The Human Aspects of AI and LLMs in Africa.” Hosted under Project 101104921 (HORIZON‑MSCA‑2022‑PF‑01), the event reframed AI not as a neutral technology but as a cultural, labour‑rooted, and deeply human practice. 🌍🤝

Highlights from the panel:
• Folami’s story — Felix Ajiola introduced the even while Davide Casciano opened the conversation with a moving ethnography of an LLM data annotator in Lagos, revealing the hidden emotional labour and cultural translation that shape language‑inclusive AI. 🧠💬
• Decolonial reimagining — Gabriel Eyo Matthew challenged us to use AI as a tool to recover and rewrite African histories while interrogating whose knowledge counts. 📝🏺
• Human‑AI interaction — Oladimeji Festus Olafare explored how AI reshapes norms, identity, and knowledge across African contexts, calling for culturally sensitive, human‑centred design. 🌐✨
• Cultural preservation — Faith Olabisi & Victor Onah showcased AI’s promise for safeguarding languages, archives, and traditions, while highlighting ethical and infrastructural challenges. 🎭📚

A heartfelt thanks to the University of Lagos for hosting, to our presenters for their bold scholarship, and to the many students whose questions and presence made the discussion vibrant. Today reminded us that AI is a human story we all participate in shaping — from labour and language to memory and meaning.

Swipe the post below to see photos and moments from the panel!