I didn’t come into AI governance through academia or a tech background. I came into it through curiosity, and then a growing sense that this is where I should be.

My journey started with trying to understand AI beyond the surface. I took an IBM / Coursera course on generative AI and ethics, and that opened up more questions than answers. From there, I got involved with the AI Ethics and Integrity International Association (AIEI), where I now contribute as an Associated Participant on the Legal Committee. I also went on to complete the ENAIS AI Safety Atlas course, which deepened my understanding of governance, policy, and long-term risk.

Then came a moment that made everything feel very real.

When Nigerian businesswoman Ibukun Awosika had to publicly debunk a deepfake video of herself being used to defraud people, it struck me in a different way. It wasn’t just something I was learning about anymore—it was happening here, affecting real people, in real time.

More than anything, it reaffirmed for me that I am on the right path.

I come from an administrative and operations background. I’m not a researcher or an engineer. I’m a Nigerian woman in career transition, trying to build real understanding in AI governance and find my place in this space without institutional backing or funding yet.

Right now, I’m contributing where I can. I’m working on an AI Governance Starter Kit and supporting internal work within AIEI, including drafting a Human Review and Escalation SOP—defining when human oversight is necessary for AI outputs and how high-risk issues should be handled. It may seem like small work, but to me, it’s a way of building from the ground up.

My goal is to pursue an MSc in AI Ethics and Governance—I currently hold an offer from the University of Leeds—and I am actively navigating funding while continuing to learn and contribute so I can do this work properly and at the level it deserves.

I have one genuine question for this community:

What does meaningful contribution to AI safety and governance look like for someone without institutional backing or funding yet?

Most of the paths I have seen assume you are already inside a system—already funded, already publishing, already connected. I’m not there yet. But I am here, doing what I can, and trying to understand how to do it better.

Thank you for reading.

—  Nneoma
Associated Participant, Legal Committee | AIEI