Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
LightNews LightNews
banner
chinasa.bsky.social
Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo
@chinasa.bsky.social
6.1K followers 43 following 560 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
Posts Replies Media Videos
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
chinasa.bsky.social
Apparently, it was 5 helicopters operated by the Air Force 1st Squadron, flying at low altitude.
x.com/Helicopterso...
A tweet from Helicopters of DC at CopterSpotter.com @HelicoptersofDC that says: "@usairforce is 5:30am on a Sunday really the best time for 1st Helicopter Squadron to joyride 5 ships at low altitude over the city? Hope there’s a reason you have ADS-B off cause I’ll be FOIA’ing. cc: @SenTedCruz @SenatorCantwell"
November 24, 2025 at 6:58 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
Enjoyed Florence much more than Rome, what a calming place! 🇮🇹
A hillside in Florence, Italy with brush and leaves in the foreground and trees in the background. The sky is clear with scattered clouds. Hotel building that’s yellow and has a green reception banner over the entrance. The walkway is red brick and there are tables with closed white table umbrellas nearby. A hillside in Florence approaching Fiesole with yellow buildings and green, lush hillside. There are cars parked infront. Another hillside from Fiesole with more yellow buildings with red roofs, trees, and lush greenery.
November 15, 2025 at 7:46 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
I recently contributed to “Supporting At-Risk Users Through Responsible Computing,” a report from the Computing Community Consortium presenting a research roadmap for advancing responsible computing to protect individuals facing heightened exposure to technology-facilitated harm.
Cover for the “Supporting At-Risk Users Through Responsible Computing,” a report with the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Visioning Workshop October 2025
November 14, 2025 at 1:36 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
When I search for my name on Google, there's a very interesting set of people that Google claims are also searched for 👀
A Google Search for "Chinasa T. Okolo" which shows results for "People also search for" including Ray Kurzweil, Andrew Yao, Yoshua Bengio, Jensen Huang, Katja Grace, Demis Hassabis, Sam Altman, and Marques Brownlee
November 10, 2025 at 5:58 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Finally finished “The Bright Continent” by Dayo Olopade and came across this great quote from Mahmood Mamdani:

"The real custodian of democratic order was never the state but society."
Picture of a page of text within the book that reads: Mahmood Mamdani, the Ugandan academic, puts it thus: "The real custodian of democratic order was never the state but society. Chinasa is holding a book, “The Bright Continent” by Dayo Olopade, in her right hand, it has a blue-multicolored cover with a image of Africa in the center that reads: “Breaking Rules & Making Change in Modern Africa”
November 10, 2025 at 3:25 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Earlier this year, I was very flattered to find out that I have a Wikipedia page! Although it’s a bit outdated due to a recent career change, I’m very grateful to be represented in the world’s largest online encyclopedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinasa...
Screenshot of wikipedia page that reads: Chinasa T. Okolo Born Kansas City, Missouri, USA Known for Artificial Intelligence Academic background Education Cornell University Pomona College Thesis AI Explainability in the Global South: Towards an Inclusive Praxis for Emerging Technology Users (2023) Academic work Institutions Brookings Institution Website chinasatokolo.github.io Chinasa T. Okolo is a researcher at The Brookings Institution. She works on governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Early life Okolo’s parents immigrated to the US from Nigeria. She was born and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Okolo explained that her research interest are influenced by her awareness of structural racism. She has a twin brother.[1] Education and training Okolo completed her bachelor's degree at the Pomona College in California and her master's degree in computer science and Ph.D. in computer science from Cornell University.[2]
October 29, 2025 at 2:10 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
“An Afrofuturist approach to the governance of AI technologies will lead to the adoption of practices that privilege equity by design to address the issues of exploitation and inequality arising from the AI revolution.”

www.law.georgetown.edu/georgetown-l...
screenshot of title page of an article by Ifeoma Ajunwa " Artificial Intelligence, Afrofuturism, and Economic Justice by Ifeoma Ajunwa" published in the Georgetown Law Journal
October 26, 2025 at 12:33 AM
chinasa.bsky.social
Did a quick search, and Google's AI Overview algorithm claims that Benin is in the Americas 🤦🏾‍♀️
A Google search for "which regions is authoritarianism growing" that replies through AI Overview with "The Americas • Executive aggrandizement: Some leaders in the Americas, such as in Benin and El Salvador, have used legal means like constitutional amendments to consolidate their power and weaken democratic institutions. ( • Venezuela and Nicaragua: These countries are notable examples of states where democratic norms and the rule of law have been openly flouted. • The United States: Even mature democracies like the US have shown vulnerabilities to authoritarian trends, with challenges to electoral integrity and the polarization of politics."
October 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Great article pushing back against AGI hype:

"Rather than a single general north-star goal (or small set
of goals), the AI community should articulate many worthwhile scientific engineering, and societal goals—and many possible
paths to fulfilling them."

arxiv.org/pdf/2502.036...
Title page for the paper "Stop treating ‘AGI’ as the north-star goal of AI research" The abstract reads: The AI research community plays a vital role in shaping the scientific, engineering, and soci- etal goals of AI research. In this position paper, we argue that focusing on the highly contested topic of ‘artificial general intelligence’ (‘AGI’) undermines our ability to choose effective goals. We identify six key traps—obstacles to produc- tive goal setting—that are aggravated by AGI discourse: Illusion of Consensus, Supercharging Bad Science, Presuming Value-Neutrality, Goal Lottery, Generality Debt, and Normalized Exclu- sion. To avoid these traps, we argue that the AI research community needs to (1) prioritize speci- ficity in engineering and societal goals, (2) center pluralism about multiple worthwhile approaches to multiple valuable goals, and (3) foster innova- tion through greater inclusion of disciplines and communities. Therefore, the AI research commu- nity needs to stop treating “AGI” as the north- star goal of AI research.
October 16, 2025 at 12:20 AM
chinasa.bsky.social
Looks like the Washington Post has a new partnership with Perplexity, giving users "free" access to articles when people use the Comet "AI" web browser 🤨

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
A Washington Post article blocked by a popup that reads: "Already have an account? Sign in Sponsored by Perplexity Get FREE access to The Post in the Comet browser through November 13 Create an account to read this article, plus enjoy all articles completely free when you visit us using the Comet browser. Offer not available to current Washington Post subscribers or passholders. Enter email address Or, subscribe"
October 15, 2025 at 6:08 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
My latest book chapter, “Governance of AI-Based Algorithms,” has been published in the Handbook of Human-Centered AI!

This article examines the fundamental principles necessary for governing AI-based algorithms, highlighting numerous regulatory, technical, and oversight frameworks.
screenshot of "Governance of AI-based Algorithms" book chapter, which is in the Handbook of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
October 13, 2025 at 5:28 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Finally spotted the “AI friend” advertisement in the NYC subway during my commute earlier this week.

The added commentary is truly the best!
An advertisement for a company promoting an “AI friend” it reads: “Friend [frend] noun Someone who listens, responds, and supports you. friend.com” Someone has written “AI isn’t your friend, it is surveillance” on the ad.
October 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Spoke at the University of Cape Town last evening and it was so heartening to see posters in support of Palestine. Honestly like a breath of fresh air compared to the United States.

Thank you for being on the right side of history, UCT ✊🏾
A set of three posters on campus at University of Cape Town (UCT) in support of Palestine. They read (Far right poster): “Stop the scholasticide. Stop the genocide.” SCHOLARS AGAINST THE WAR ON PALESTINE (with org logo in red and black) UCT Stands with Palestine Palestine Solidarity Coalition is a coalition of UCT academics, administrators, and alumni working to support the Palestinian liberation struggle. (Middle): Islamic University of Gaza bombed Al-Azhar, Al-Aqsa bombed Al-Quds Open University bombed University of Palestine bombed Al-Israa University bombed University of Gaza bombed Al-Aqsa University bombed Palestine Technical College bombed Palestine College of Nursing bombed Arab College of Applied Science bombed (Far left poster): 90,000 Palestinian university students cannot attend university in Gaza A poster advertising an event with Jeremy Corbyn, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Prof. Lydia Cairncross, and Assoc Prof. Zwelethu Jolobe. It it titled “PALESTINE SOLIDARITY VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA "New Forms of Global left politics and Palestine Solidarity" “
September 29, 2025 at 9:02 AM
chinasa.bsky.social
Very excited about my new role at the United Nations!

Looking forward to advising top UN officials on AI policy and working on processes essential to international AI cooperation, including the International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
Chinasa is holding a blue UN employee badge in her right hand. In the background are a blue UN flag and brown-gold emblem with the UN logo. At UN headquarters where there is a bronze statue depicting a globe-like structure that is fractured and has gears in the middle. On top of a gold table, there is a blue folder with the UN logo and text in the bottom left hand corner that reads “Digital Cooperation United Nations” a blue pamphlet on top reads “Governing AI for Humanity”
September 23, 2025 at 4:02 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Spotted in Heidelberg, Germany 🍊
A depiction of Trump with a moldy orange as his head on a poster with a blue background. It is posted to a signpost in Heidelberg Germany and there is cobblestone in the foreground.
September 16, 2025 at 12:09 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
When two of the books I’ve been waiting for are both available to check out on Libby 🙌🏾

Looking forward to some great reading over the next week!
Screenshot from Libby that shows two books “The AI Con” and “Careless People” ready for checkout. It reads: Ready to borrow! The Al Con THE Al How To Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want EMILY M. BENDER ALEX HANNA CON Borrow Manage Hold Deliver Later Placed 4 Jul 十 Your hold is ready after 10 weeks, including 1 redelivery and 1 suspension, because the library acquired 3 more copies. Ready to borrow! Careless People #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Careless People A CAUTIONARY TALE OF POWER, GREED, AND LOST IDEALISM A MEMOIR Sarah Wynn- Williams Borrow Manage Hold Deliver Later Placed 24 Jul Your hold is ready after 7 weeks.
September 14, 2025 at 9:12 AM
chinasa.bsky.social
Grateful for my past two years at Brookings and looking forward to sharing my next steps soon!

It was an honor to begin my career at the world’s most prestigious think tank, and I look forward to returning when the time is right.
Chinasa is wearing a green dress with a multi-colored scarf on top. She is gesturing while holding a mic and sitting on a panel in front of a Brookings background. She is wearing black curly braids and tortoiseshell glasses.
September 9, 2025 at 4:40 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
Spotted in Dupont Circle ✊🏾
A red car is in front of a mobile advertisement truck that reads “why are you hiding your face? Public servants should face the public” with a picture of an ICE agent wearing a mask.
September 3, 2025 at 7:07 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
The section where animals are responding to indigenous people mimicking their sounds was my favorite part of the article 🙂
Salomon Dunu Uaqui Moconoqui and company show how they hid among the leaves; how they would flee on tiptoe and in single file; how they would leave a man in the rear to erase the signs that they had been there — bent branches, trampled plants, footprints in the mud — and throw their pursuers off the scent. To communicate without arousing the suspicion of the “mestizos” [non-indigenous] they assigned each person an animal sound. When they sighted an invader or faced danger, they warned each other by imitating the corresponding sound. Suddenly, in the middle of the demonstration, there is a burst of laughter in the forest. “They’re being answered by a real monkey and a real partridge,” the youngsters explain, cracking up. The isolated people with whom they share hunting areas do the same to this day, with such perfection that only the true inhabitants of the jungle can distinguish whether they are humans or animals. Therefore, the testimonies of indigenous people such as the Matsé are an indispensable first step to ringfence and protect the territories of isolated groups; an exercise that now faces a campaign to discredit the indigenous voices that coexist with isolated people by negationist businessmen.
September 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
The last sentence stresses why bridging academic research and policy is so important:

"There are many who have analyzed us as objects of linguistic or anthropological research, but few who are concerned about our needs in terms of health, education, employment, or political representation.”
Peoples such as the Isconahua are a source of fascination for researchers from all over the world, who cannot study their isolated relatives because of the no-contact principle enshrined in the national and international legal framework. “They tend to treat us like an academic curiosity that needs to be investigated before it dies out,” says William Ochavano, Felix’s older brother. “There are many who have analyzed us as objects of linguistic or anthropological research, but few who are concerned about our needs in terms of health, education, employment, or political representation.”
September 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
One of the best pieces I've read on voluntary isolated indigenous communities in the Amazon. english.elpais.com/internationa...
a screenshot from El País with a title of the article "And after first contact, what? How the last isolated peoples on Earth live A journey to some of the most remote corners of the Peruvian Amazon provides several lessons for the future"
September 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
I really enjoy vacationing in South Carolina ☀️
A pier is in the back left hand corner along with the Atlantic ocean in the background. There are palm trees and greenery in the front. This picture is taken from a pier with a red lifebuoy. There is a beach and hotel buildings in the background A beach is in the foreground and a pier in the background
September 1, 2025 at 6:41 PM
chinasa.bsky.social
After months of collaboration, I’m pleased to share "AI Safety Governance, The Southeast Asian Way,” a new report from @brookings.edu and AI Safety Asia (AISA)!

Our report outlines recent AI governance developments in 11 Southeast Asian countries.

www.brookings.edu/articles/ai-...
A report cover from Brookings that reads "AI Safety Governance, the Southeast Asian Way" with names of the lead authors "Lyantoniette Chua, Philip Tham, and Chinasa T. Okolo
August 26, 2025 at 3:59 PM