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Women have been urged to move beyond being users of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and take a more active role in shaping how the technology is developed, governed and deployed across Africa.

The call was made at the Women in AI Executive Forum organised by TeKnowledge in Lagos, where more than 30 senior women leaders and emerging female professionals gathered to examine the growing influence of AI on workplaces, businesses and society.

Held under the theme: “Why Women Voices Matter in the Age of AI,” the forum used a mentor-mentee format to explore leadership, opportunities and responsibilities for women as AI becomes increasingly embedded in organisational decision-making.

President and Chief Executive Officer of TeKnowledge, Aileen Allkins, challenged participants to look beyond simply learning how to use AI and develop a deeper understanding of how the technology works and influences decisions.

According to Allkins, women do not necessarily need to become AI engineers or technical specialists to contribute meaningfully to the sector. Rather, she encouraged them to develop the confidence and curiosity to ask questions and engage with issues surrounding AI policy, data, governance, risk and societal impact.

“We need to move away from just knowing how to use AI to understanding how it is built, the kind of data AI uses and how decisions are made,” Allkins said.

She added that the relatively emerging nature of AI presents an opportunity for women to acquire knowledge and participate more actively in conversations that will shape the technology’s future.

“We can research, learn and put ourselves in the room and have a voice,” she said.

The forum also featured a roundtable session involving mentors and mentees, where participants identified curiosity, courage, sound judgement and discernment as important qualities for leaders operating in an increasingly AI-driven environment.

Chief Growth and AI Officer for Microsoft Middle East and Africa, Ola Williams, who joined Allkins in a discussion titled “Leading in the Age of AI: Why Diverse Leadership Creates Better Outcomes,” urged women leaders to move beyond experimentation and become active participants in determining how AI is deployed within organisations.

Williams said the key issue was no longer simply whether organisations and individuals were using AI, but how leaders could ensure the technology was deployed responsibly and in ways that support business objectives.

“The question is not whether we are all using AI today. It is more about leading the conversation within an organisation and making AI work in a way that ethically drives business outcomes,” she said.

Participants also examined the importance of human judgement as AI becomes increasingly involved in organisational processes. While AI can generate recommendations and options, speakers stressed that leaders must continue to question outputs, understand their implications and determine whether they align with organisational values and objectives.

Mentorship emerged as another major theme at the forum, with participants highlighting its role in preparing emerging women professionals for careers and leadership opportunities in an AI-enabled economy.

The mentor-mentee model provided an avenue for experienced women leaders to share knowledge and perspectives while helping younger professionals build the confidence needed to participate in future AI-related decisions.

Allkins urged participants to translate discussions from the forum into practical action, encouraging them to identify specific steps they could take to deepen their understanding of AI.

These could include learning more about AI governance and policy, understanding how AI tools are being deployed within their organisations, asking questions about the data used by such systems, or becoming more informed about the opportunities and risks associated with the technology.

The Women in AI Executive Forum forms part of TeKnowledge’s broader engagements aimed at creating greater awareness and encouraging women to participate in conversations around the future of AI.

The company said the objective is not merely to increase AI awareness among women, but to encourage more women leaders to become informed participants in decisions that will influence the technology’s development and application.

As AI continues to evolve, speakers at the forum stressed that human qualities including creativity, empathy, judgement and intuition will remain essential to effective leadership.

The forum therefore called for women to not only prepare for an AI-driven future, but also take an active role in shaping it.