The Women in AI Executive Forum, hosted by TeKnowledge in Lagos, has emphasized the need for women to play a more active role in shaping the development, governance, and deployment of artificial intelligence in Africa. The forum brought together over 30 senior women leaders and emerging female professionals to explore the leadership skills and responsibilities required as AI transforms workplaces and societies. The discussion focused on ensuring that the future of AI is shaped by diverse perspectives.
Aileen Allkins, President and CEO of TeKnowledge, challenged participants to think beyond simply using AI tools and consider their role in understanding and influencing the technology. She emphasized that women leaders do not need to become AI engineers or technical specialists to participate meaningfully in the conversation. Instead, they need to develop curiosity and confidence to learn, ask questions, and engage with issues around AI policy, risk, data, governance, and impact.
The forum featured a roundtable discussion on the leadership qualities required in the AI era, identifying curiosity, courage, judgement, and discernment as critical qualities for leaders navigating an increasingly AI-enabled world. Participants also highlighted the importance of mentorship in helping the next generation understand the opportunities and risks presented by AI. Ola Williams, Chief Growth & AI Officer for Microsoft Middle East and Africa, urged women leaders to move beyond experimenting with AI and take a more active role in determining its integration within organizations.
Williams emphasized the responsibility of today's leaders to prepare the next generation of women for an environment in which AI will increasingly shape careers, workplaces, and opportunities. As AI becomes more deeply embedded across organizations, participants discussed the importance of human judgement and responsibility. While AI can generate recommendations and options, leaders must still be able to question those outputs, understand their implications, and determine whether they align with organizational values and objectives.
The forum reinforced the role of mentorship in this process, pairing experienced women leaders with emerging professionals to share perspectives on navigating AI. Allkins encouraged participants to leave the forum with a practical commitment, identifying one thing they could do differently to engage with AI, whether learning more about AI policy or understanding how AI tools are being used in their organizations.
The Women in AI Executive Forum represents a step towards encouraging more women leaders to become informed participants in the decisions that will shape the future of AI. TeKnowledge plans to convene further engagements to keep the conversation moving and create more opportunities for women to engage with the implications of AI. The objective is not simply to increase awareness of AI but to encourage more women leaders to become informed participants in the decisions that will shape its future.
As AI continues to evolve, human qualities such as creativity, empathy, judgement, and intuition will remain important. The objective now is to ensure that women are not only prepared for that future but are actively helping to shape it. The forum has highlighted the need for diverse leadership in AI development, and it is hoped that this conversation will continue to grow and inspire more women to take an active role in shaping Africa's AI future.
Key points
- Women need to move beyond simply using AI tools and consider their role in understanding and influencing the technology.
- The forum identified curiosity, courage, judgement, and discernment as critical qualities for leaders navigating an increasingly AI-enabled world.
- Mentorship is crucial in helping the next generation of women understand the opportunities and risks presented by AI.
