Two KU Doctoral Candidates Represent KU at Philosophy, Technology and Society Workshop in Africa

Doctoral students in philosophy, Oluwaseun Sanwoolu and Oluwakorede Ajibona, recently attended an academic workshop that focused on the crossroads of philosophy, technology and society at the University of Ibadan (UI) in Nigeria. The workshop, held on May 28 for the first time, was coordinated in partnership with KU’s Center for Cyber-Social Dynamics (CCSD). The single day event paired the KU representatives with researchers from UI to explore the critical role of philosophy in shaping discussions around technology and society, with a particular focus on the African context.

Over the course of five 45-minute talks, the researchers discussed topics such as Philosophy as a Guide for Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development in Africa; the Philosophical Foundations of Technology; Making Normative Political Philosophy of Computing an African Thing; and Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement, Personal Identity and Puzzle Case Approach.

Sanwoolu, who is also a graduate research assistant at CCSD and a fellow at KU’s institute for Digital Research and Humanities, said that by centering on African perspectives, the workshop successfully fostered meaningful engagement on how philosophy can guide responsible and inclusive technological development on a global scale. “Participating in this workshop was a personal and intellectual affirmation. As someone committed to centering African perspectives in conversations about ethics and technology, being part of this gathering reminded me why this work matters,” Sanwoolu says, “I also deeply valued the reflections of the other scholars whose work framed the workshop’s themes in compelling ways.”

Sanwoolu’s research is in ethics, philosophy of technology (especially AI), Immanual Kant’s Moral Philosophy, and feminist African philosophy. Ajibona’s research is also in the philosophy of technology as well as African(a) philosophy.

CCSD is one of six centers of research that comprise the Institute for Information Sciences (I2S). The mission of I2S is to sustain and grow national leadership in the creation, dissemination, and commercialization of new technologies in computer systems, communications systems, and radar systems.