Imagine an AI tool that politely nudges your colleague to stop micromanaging you during a Zoom call. This isn’t science fiction—it’s the reality Dr. Solomon Ubani is building.
Dr. Ubani, a Nigerian-born AI scientist, is capturing the tech world’s attention with his groundbreaking research into how artificial intelligence can improve the human side of digital work. From his days as a Ph.D. student at the University of North in the United States to his current role as an AI Scientist at Intuit, Ubani has focused on one question: can machines help humans work together more respectfully?
The answer, he insists, is yes.
At the heart of Ubani’s work is a tool called CollabAssist. Designed originally for pair programming, CollabAssist acts as a virtual assistant during video calls, subtly flagging moments when someone starts micromanaging or using exclusive language. Instead of letting tensions boil over, it offers gentle prompts like “Ask for opinions” or “Think collaboratively.”
In studies conducted with university students, teams using CollabAssist saw a significant reduction in micromanaging behaviour—a finding that could have profound implications far beyond coding. “These tools aren’t just about writing better code,” Ubani told colleagues during a recent lecture. “They’re about creating environments where everyone feels included and heard.”
His research also led to the first AI system capable of detecting exclusive language in conversations—phrases like “I’ll handle it” or “You need to fix this”—that can alienate team members.
A Nigerian Mind Shaping Global Work Culture
Born and raised in Nigeria, Dr. Ubani’s path reflects the country’s growing presence in the global tech ecosystem. After completing his Ph.D. studies in the U.S., he served as a lecturer at San Diego State University in 2024 before joining Intuit, a major American software company, as an AI Scientist.
Though based abroad, his work resonates deeply with Africa’s evolving digital economy, where remote work is growing but often hampered by hierarchical cultures and poor collaboration practices.
For Nigerian tech founders and startup leaders, Ubani’s innovations offer both inspiration and a challenge. They highlight how technology can help tackle social dynamics that undermine productivity—a problem as real in Lagos as it is in Silicon Valley.
Yet they also raise big questions about privacy and surveillance. If AI can flag micromanagement in a video call, how far should companies go in monitoring employee interactions? And why, some critics ask, must such groundbreaking work be driven from overseas instead of within Nigeria’s own thriving tech hubs?
Dr. Ubani’s work arrives at a critical time. As Nigeria pushes to expand its digital economy, collaboration tools tailored for African contexts could empower startups, boost remote employment, and foster healthier work cultures. The question is whether local innovators and investors will step up to build solutions of their own—or leave that future in the hands of foreign firms.
One thing is certain: for Nigeria’s startup founders, AI is no longer just about automating tasks—it’s about reshaping how people work together. And that’s a frontier too important to ignore.
Talking Points
Tech Shouldn’t Just Be About Code—It Should Be About People. The African tech scene is obsessed with apps, fintech, and data platforms. All great—but we’re neglecting the human side.
Dr. Ubani’s work reminds us that tech can solve deeply human problems like workplace anxiety, exclusion, and toxic leadership. Why aren’t African VCs funding more startups focused on how people work together, not just on how they transact money?
We Need African AI Solutions Built by Africans for African Problems. CollabAssist was born in American classrooms—but imagine it trained on African workplace scenarios: boss calls you “junior,” talks over you in meetings, or casually insults you with “Don’t you understand simple English?”
That’s the African micromanagement reality. If we don’t build AI tools rooted in our cultural contexts, we’ll keep buying imported solutions that don’t fully fit our problems.
Can AI Really Make People Kinder—or Are We Just Outsourcing Humanity? There’s something bittersweet about needing AI to teach us how to behave like decent colleagues.
Shouldn’t empathy and respectful communication be human skills? Or have we become so transactional—even in African tech—that we’re outsourcing basic courtesy to algorithms?
