Mutale Nkonde is a Zambian journalist and artificial intelligence policy researcher. She founded the nonprofit, AI for the People, aimed at reducing algorithmic bias.
Mutale Nkonde | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Nkonde in 2021 | |
| Born | Zambia |
| Education | Leeds Metropolitan University Columbia University |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, AI policy researcher |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | New York Emmy Award (2021) |
Early life and education
editNkonde was born in Zambia and raised in the United Kingdom.[1] She later lived in Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan.[1] Nkonde studied in the neurology department at Leeds Metropolitan University for three years before completing a B.Sc. with honors in sociology.[2][3] She earned a M.A. in American studies from the Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.[4] Nkonde is pursuing a Ph.D. in digital humanities as a Harding distinguished postgraduate scholar at University of Cambridge.[5]
Career
editWorking as a journalist, Nkonde moved to New York City in 2005.[1] She started working in politics during the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign.[1] Nkonde worked as the director of labor of Bill Lynch Associates.[1] She later founded the management consultancy firm, Nkonde & Associates.[1]
Following the publication of Weapons of Math Destruction in 2016, Nkonde began researching algorithmic bias.[6] She co-authored the 2019 article, Advancing Racial Literacy in Tech with Jessie Daniels and Darakhshan Mir. Nkonde founded AI for the People, a nonprofit advocating for the reduction of algorithmic bias.[6] It supported the drafting of the "Algorithmic Accountability Act" introduced by Yvette Clarke to the United States House of Representatives in 2019.[6][7] In 2019, Nkonde became a fellow at both the Harvard Law School Berkman Klein Center of Internet and Society and the civil society lab at Stanford University.[8] In 2021, she won a New York Emmy Award for her storytelling efforts on a news segment covering facial recognition.[8] In 2024, Nkonde supported the development of the AI policy platform of the Congressional Black Caucus.[5]
Personal life
editNkonde and her husband separated in 2010.[1] As of 2014, Nkonde resided in Brooklyn with her two sons.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Arinde, Nayaba (2014-05-15). "Mutale Nkonde: Super mom, aspiring international community builder". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Mutale Nkonde | AI for the People". AI for the People | Tech Justice for Black Futures. 2021-09-07. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ Hamm, Nia (2015-07-08). "Against All Odds: Economic Inequities for Black Women Cripple Communities". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ "Mutale Nkonde". The Data Science Institute at Columbia University. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ a b Shepherd-Brierley, Zara (2024-05-15). "10 Black Women Making Waves in AI". UrbanGeekz. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
- ^ a b c Davis, Dominic-Madori (2024-02-23). "Women in AI: Mutale Nkonde's nonprofit is working to make AI less biased". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ Captain, Sean (2023-11-27). "Responsible AI is Good for Business, says Advocate Mutale Nkonde". Worth. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ a b "Mutale Nkonde Bio" (PDF). United States Congress. 2022. Retrieved 2024-06-30.