Nairobi to host AI documentary screening as ethics debate intensifies

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A critically acclaimed documentary that exposes hidden biases in artificial intelligence will be screened in Nairobi on October 11, 2025, bringing one of the world’s most urgent technology debates to East Africa.

The screening, hosted by Dr. Joy Buolamwini, the computer scientist and activist behind the Algorithmic Justice League in partnership with Ushahidi and Baraza Media Lab, will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.

It forms part of a global anniversary tour for the film, which has already ignited conversations in major cities across the world.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into everyday life, from banking and health care to education, policing and information access. But systems built on incomplete or skewed data can reinforce discrimination rather than remove it, quietly disadvantaging women and people of color.

For Kenya, where AI adoption is moving quickly but national policies and safeguards are still at an early stage, the documentary arrives at a critical moment.

Directed by Shalini Kantayya, the film follows Buolamwini’s research at MIT Media Lab, where she discovered that widely used facial recognition programs consistently failed to identify darker-skinned and female faces with accuracy.

Her findings sparked a wider examination of how algorithms, often viewed as neutral, can entrench inequality when left unchecked. Through the Algorithmic Justice League, Buolamwini has pushed for stronger accountability in the development and deployment of AI systems.

“AI already influences how people access work, credit and information,” said Maurice Otieno, Executive Director of Baraza Media Lab.

“This gathering offers a chance to reflect on the responsibilities that come with deploying such technology. We hope it leads to shared understanding and practical steps toward systems that treat everyone with dignity.”

Buolamwini said Nairobi was a natural choice for the tour.

“The conversation on artificial intelligence is incomplete without centering African voices and perspectives,” she noted.

“Kenya has long been a hub of technical innovation and we look forward to learning from local entrepreneurs, policy makers, scholars, and creatives.”

According to Ushahidi, the Nairobi-born non-profit known globally for citizen-driven data platforms, the documentary highlights challenges it already grapples with.

“Our work has always been about surfacing the voices and lived realities of communities too often left unheard,” a representative said.

“In our current journey to harness AI to tell these stories more effectively, the challenges illuminated in this film resonate profoundly.”

The event is expected to attract technologists, academics, journalists, policymakers and community organisers from across the region.

Discussions will probe how automated decision-making is already shaping employment, access to credit, law enforcement and civic participation, and what protections are needed to prevent harm as AI systems spread further.

Seats are limited, with registration required through Backstage. For those who attend, the Nairobi screening promises an urgent dialogue on how technology, bias and power will shape Africa’s digital future.