Ataya: The HUMA Interdisciplinary Seminar Series
13:00-14:00 SAST 

Speaker: Georges Macaire Eyenga 
(Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER), University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; University of Dschang, Cameroon)

Topic: This research explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing population registries in Africa, a growing field requiring critical technoscientific analysis. AI presents significant potential to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility in population identification and registration. Biometric identification exemplifies this, as AI-driven technologies - such as facial recognition, fingerprinting, and iris scanning - streamline and automate individual registration, particularly in remote areas where traditional methods are slow and costly. AI also strengthens data integrity by detecting identity fraud and eliminating duplicates. In recent years, several African countries have deployed biometric systems for national ID issuance and voter registration, with AI further improving their reliability and security.

Beyond identification, AI can analyze demographic trends, optimize public service delivery, and support resource allocation. Predictive analytics assist in anticipating population movements, conflict risks, and natural disasters, enhancing humanitarian preparedness. Additionally, AI-driven digital identity initiatives help marginalized populations access essential services such as healthcare and banking. However, key challenges remain: How can personal data protection and privacy be ensured? How can AI mitigate rather than amplify inequalities? This study, grounded in affordance theory, examines how African states leverage AI for inclusive population registries. Based on empirical research in Cameroon (2020–2025), it also addresses the ethical implications of AI adoption. 

About the speaker: 
Georges Macaire Eyenga holds an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Yaoundé II (2015) and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Paris Nanterre (2019). He is a Research Fellow at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER) at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Dschang (Cameroon). Since 2025, he has also led the Research Unit for Political, Strategic, and Social Analysis (URPOSSOC), the university’s main political science laboratory. His research explores African technoscapes, focusing on surveillance technologies, biometrics, medical drones, and digital platforms. He has received several prestigious fellowships, including the Erasmus Mundus Fellowship (2015), the Gerda Henkel Foundation Fellowship (2020), the IUSSP Population, Ethics, and Human Rights Fellowship (2023), and the Standard Bank Chair Fellowship (2024). He is a member of the editorial board of Cahiers d'Études Africaines, published by the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), France. 

How Ataya works: One presenter and their work – in exchange with the audience. Each Ataya session engages with selected work by the presenter (a text, artwork, performance, even food). The presenter introduces their work and grounds the subsequent discussion with the participants. For best engagement, we recommend participants to view the work (made available in advance on our website) before the session. More on the Ataya Series


For any questions: huma@uct.ac.za