Biography
Sara Wahedi is the CEO of Civaam, an AI and policy organization dedicated to the co-creation, design, and prototyping of AI interventions across the Global Majority. She is a recognized expert in the co-creation of responsible AI, epistemic justice in tech deployment, and technology governance within conflict-affected regions. Her work ensures that technological frameworks in high-risk contexts are not just deployed to communities, but are led and defined by them.
As the Technology Specialist at the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice, Sara oversees the development of AI tools housed under the Institute’s three pillars, bridging the gap between technical innovation and community-led agency. A trusted advisor to governments, international organizations, and industry, she provides strategic guidance on digital policy and the ethical integration of AI in fragile contexts.
Sara’s pioneering contributions to civic technology, most notably the founding of Afghanistan’s community-led mobile alert system, Ehtesab, have earned her global recognition by TIME Magazine, included in their list of 'Next Generation Leaders’, MIT Technology Review's 'Innovators Under 35', and on the BBC’s list of 100 Most Influential Women.
She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford and a degree in Urban Studies, Data Science from Columbia University.