In this episode of Mindful AI, we welcome Nazareen Ebrahim, South African AI ethicist and founder of Naz Consulting International, whose work champions diverse voices in the global AI conversation.

From a pivotal conversation at Web Summit 2018 to mentorship with the World Economic Forum, Nazareen now educates healthcare professionals, schools, and communities across Africa about responsible AI. We explore why diverse representation matters, how Western-centric training data perpetuates bias, and what it means when one in three South Africans still don't know about AI.

The conversation tackles solutions in action: South Africa's AI maturity framework, healthcare regulations for practitioners, and Nazareen's forthcoming AI for Everyone Handbook. She argues for agency through education, better questions, and the African philosophy of Ubuntu—"I am because you are."

If you believe AI should reflect all of humanity, not just Silicon Valley, this conversation offers both critique and practical pathways forward.

🎙 Links from the episode:🔗 Centre for AI and Digital Policy: https://www.caidp.org/🔗 Lelapa AI (South African language models): https://lelapa.ai/🔗 Centre for Humane Technology: https://www.humanetech.com/

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Skateboarding Johannesburg and the journey to AI ethics

05:00 Web Summit 2018: the conversation that changed everything

10:00 Why diverse voices matter in AI ethics

18:00 Western-centric training data and the mirror problem

24:00 Indigenous AI research and language equity

34:00 Centre for AI and Digital Policy: building AI literacy

41:00 Solutions in action: education, maturity frameworks, and healthcare regulations

50:00 What we can do: asking questions and responsible digital citizenship

53:00 Ubuntu: AI can only be as mindful as the humans behind it