Inaugural Ian R. Kerr Fellow Seeks Balance Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights in Africa

By Common Law

Communication, Faculty of Law

Faculty of Law - Common Law Section
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A woman leans on her elbows, she is smiling. There is a vase of roses beside her.
The Centre for Law, Technology and Society is pleased to welcome Ginika Ezeoke, the inaugural Ian R. Kerr Fellow for the LLM in Law and Technology.

Ms. Ezeoke is an accomplished Nigerian attorney, with an impressive background in litigation and corporate commercial law. A skilled negotiator, her specialties include corporate/commercial, energy, securities, compliance, mergers & acquisitions, private equity deals, secured financings, employment, and medical law.

She was accepted to the LLM program in Law and Technology and upon satisfaction of the selection criteria, including her proposed research topic which is focused on artificial intelligence and ethics in technological designs, she was selected as the recipient of the Ian Kerr Fellowship for Fall 2023.

In her latest research project, she is turning her attention to a comparative analysis of Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance in Nigeria and Canada. Her research topic "Artificial Intelligence Governance: Creating an equilibrium between a digitalized society and the protection of human rights - the African perspective," is poised to make invaluable contributions to the discourse on technology and the law.

“The objective of this research is to recommend solutions to achieve AI governance and regulation in Africa, learning from advanced countries like Canada,” explained Ms. Ezeoke.

"In June 2023, the Nigeria Data Protection Act, was signed into law. South Africa has the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, the contents of both clearly indicate that emphasis by regulations is on access to data and data privacy, a single aspect of digitization and AI. It is as a result of this dearth in our laws in Africa that I would be excited to study in the University of Ottawa, Ontario."

A woman stands in front of a stage. The stage has 4 empty chairs. There is a large screen in the background.
Ginika Ezeoke attending the event Shaping AI for Just Futures, as part of the International AI + Society Conference

In her Letter of Intent, Ms. Ezeoke outlined why she was the best candidate for this LLM Program: “My area of interest is a burning topic in Nigeria. Even in the absence of [the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act], Canada is far advanced in terms of AI Governance and this study would provide me with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This experience would propel me and ensure that I remain relevant and updated on AI regulations and governance in advanced countries, better equipped to provide relevant advice and consultation in a developing country.”

Professor Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and e-Commerce Law, said, "Ian was a remarkable friend and colleague, who was years ahead of his time. He wrote about AI and robotics at a time when it felt like science fiction, yet it has now become our reality. His scholarship endures, but it is his commitment to students and our grad program that is perhaps his greatest legacy at the law school. Ginika is the perfect person to launch the Kerr Fellows program and I know that Ian would have loved to have welcomed her to the law school.

Ms. Ezeoke is sincerely grateful to the Ian Kerr fellowship, the donors, the Faculty of Law and the entire University of Ottawa for making her dream a reality, saying “indeed, if you can dream it, you can do it.” 

“Data protection, Artificial Intelligence; and the ethics of it, and the relationship between Law and Technology has been an area of immense interest to me,” she says. “I believe law has a duty to ensure that the voracious nature of technology does not erode on the rights of the people. Bill C-27 (An Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts) is of particular interest to me and with the recent passing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, I am excited to explore the potentials of this Bill (and implementation of the Act) and its impact on AI and data privacy in Canada, through the lens of the Ian Kerr Fellowship.

a man is sitting at a desk. His arms are stacked and rested on the desk and his chin is rested on top of his hands. There are small robots in the foreground, on the desk.
Professor Kerr’s vision was to ensure that top students from around the world have the necessary funding and support to pursue their scholarly dreams researching legal, ethical and policy questions surrounding new technologies at uOttawa's CLTS.

“I am particularly intrigued by the visionary Ian Kerr who, through his writings, including Bots, Babes and the Californication of Commerce (where, as far back as 2005, he anticipated the use of virtual agents in commerce that can garner people’s trust and exploit them on behalf of corporate entities which, interestingly, is our current reality), made a huge impact in the law and technology scholarship space. I look forward to a great learning experience with the amazing Professors at the Faculty and beyond.”

The Ian R. Kerr Fellowships for the LLM in Law and Technology, was established in tribute to Professor Ian R. Kerr's outstanding contributions to technology law, ethics, and policy. To continue his efforts towards a more inclusive academy and empowering emerging researchers, the Fund creates graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral scholarships to support students from non-traditional backgrounds or perspectives, or from abroad who are not usually supported by traditional funding schemes.

Professor Kerr’s vision was to ensure that top students from around the world have the necessary funding and support to pursue their scholarly dreams researching legal, ethical and policy questions surrounding new technologies at the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society (CLTS).

We look forward to the research and contributions that Ms. Ezeoke will make during her tenure.