Dr. Moustapha Cissé is a research scientist and the director of Google’s Artificial Intelligence Center in Accra, Ghana — Google’s first AI lab in Africa.
His interests in AI started during an algorithmic course during his university studies. As a researcher, Dr. Cissé aims to better society through axiological artificial intelligence, “particularly the lives of those who need it most.” As such, his research efforts focus on fairness, transparency, and reliability.
“AI is a critical tool used today and used to accelerate all sorts of sciences in physics, chemistry and engineering,” said Dr. Cissé, as reported by Business Insider South Africa. “But most of the people working and advancing the science and developing it in the field are based mostly in Western countries. It’s important that such an important field [can address] a diversity of the problems that the world faces today, and Africa is accurately represented.”
As an advocate for talent development among African youth, Dr. Cissé is the founder and director of the African Masters of Machine Intelligence, a year-long graduate program that provides state-of-the-art training in machine learning and related technologies to African students. He’s also held active roles in the Data Science in Africa and is a co-founder of Black in AI.
“…fewer African AI researchers and engineers means fewer opportunities to use AI to improve the lives of Africans,” he explained on a blog post with the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences. “The research community is also missing out on talented individuals simply because they have not received the right education.”
Prior to becoming the head of Google’s AI Center, Dr. Cissé worked at at Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) in Paris.
Born and raised in Senegal, Dr. Cissé studied mathematics and physics at Universite Gaston Berger in Saint-Louis, Senegal, and received a master’s in machine learning and a PhD in computer science from the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France.
Tags: Africa, AI, Data Science, Diversity and Inclusion, Google, research, Senegal
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