How AI Can Strengthen Our Democracy / Mutale Nkonde

Mutale Nkonde

Mutale Nkonde is currently pursing a PhD at Cambridge University, where she is conducting research on how the policies …

Mutale Nkonde

Mutale Nkonde is currently pursing a PhD at Cambridge University, where she is conducting research on how the policies that govern design of large language models impact Black lives.

In March 2020 Nkonde started AI for the People (AFP) a public sector Responsible AI Team that focuses on product policy. It is built around the policy advocacy work Nkonde had been doing in Congress since 2017. When she was a fellow at Data and Society, and later at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard.

In 2019 Nkonde's efforts led to her becoming the lead advocate for the introduction of the Algorithmic Accountability Act (AAA), by the Office of the Honorable Yvette D. Clarke (D9-NY). The AAA demands the use of impact assessment to ensure machine learning technologies comply with existing non discrimination laws before their market release. This idea has been integrated into every comprehensive privacy proposal developed by the US House Energy and Commerce Committee since the introduction of the AAA. And is central to the all rights respecting AI policy frameworks.

In 2023 Nkonde took part in one of Senator Schumer's AI Insight Panels and spoke on panels at the Congress Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference (CBC). Then in 2024 she is one of civil society leaders helping the Congressional Black Caucus develop their AI Policy platform. As well as taking part in one the White House Roundtables on Equity in Tech Policy hosted by the Federation of American Scientists and the Kapor Foundation.

Nkonde has a BSc. (Hons) in Sociology from Leeds Metropolitan University, a Masters Degree in American Studies from Columbia University. And has held fellowships at Notre Dame, and Stanford and is currently a visiting policy fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute.