The Keeper of the Fire: A Modern African Parable About AI, Spirit, and Who Gets to Shape Tomorrow

There is an old story whispered across many lands, from the red earth of the Sahel to the shores of the Atlantic. The tale speaks of a sacred fire that sits at the center of the world.

Prompt: African girls weaving stories around a fire

The elders say the fire was placed there by the First Dreamers, those ancient ones who understood that imagination is the oldest technology humanity ever had. Whoever sits close to that fire can see not just what is, but what might be. They can shape futures with their breath. They can envision worlds before they exist.

But over time, the storytellers say, the circle around the fire changed. The people who gathered around the fire moved. Some voices grew louder. Some bodies took up more space. Some traditions began to dominate the storytelling. The rhythm keepers, the daughters of drummers, the weavers of metaphor, and the children of ancestral memory found themselves drifting further from the flame. It was not their choice; it was not their design.

A Journey to the Great White Forest

A few days ago, I returned from a spiritual retreat in what I now think of as the Great White Forest. This place is beautiful, loving, and sincere. It is filled with wisdom and grace. Here, people gathered with open hearts to seek meaning, reflection, and purpose.

And yet… As I walked through its groves, prayed among its streams and ponds, and breathed alongside its seekers, I felt the absence. There was no hostility, no exclusion. There was just nothing. Absence. A gentleness with no drumbeat. A forest with no dark soil. A circle with space unclaimed. Not wrong, just simply not whole.

I felt the ancestors tap me on the shoulder the way only they can. It felt like both a question and a calling.

“Where are your people in this room of future-makers?”

“And what are YOU going to do about it?”

Embracing the Future with the IFYS Global Forum

This is why tomorrow, I’ll step into a virtual room with young women from across Africa for the IFYS Global Forum, speaking with daughters of the very lands where the First Dreamers once stood. I said yes to teaching this masterclass on AI and entrepreneurship because the circle around the fire is incomplete without them.

AI has often been treated like a cold machine by those who forget that technology is a spiritual act. It extends human imagination, memory, artistry, and power. I’ve spent years reminding people that AI is not the oracle. We are.

It is the brush, not the painter. The riverbed, not the river. The echo, not the origin. And who better to wield such a tool than women who come from lineages of griots, visionaries, farmers, builders, healers, and aunties who negotiate miracles in marketplaces? They are children who turn scarcity into innovation before they even learn the word “entrepreneur.”

The world needs their intelligence. Their rhythm. Their cultural memory. Their audacity. Their innovation shaped by community instead of consumption. Tomorrow’s masterclass is not about teaching them to use AI. It’s about welcoming them back to the fire.

The Power of Returning to the Circle

The parable says that when the women return to the circle, the fire burns brighter. The stories get wilder. The future stretches. Possibility hums. Some say that when the daughters return, the flame itself begins to dance.

I believe that.

This is what I want for the future of AI: A circle where more of us sit close to the fire. A circle where our stories, our questions, our metaphors, and our ancestral technologies shape the tools that will define tomorrow. A circle where we are no longer visitors; instead, we are architects.

I'm teaching tomorrow because I don’t want the future of AI built by only one kind of imagination. I don’t want any more rooms where the fire burns brightly but the drums are silent. The next era of intelligence deserves voices braided with history, spirit, and the sacred mischief of our ancestors. The daughters of Africa have always been keepers of the fire, even when the world forgot.

Tomorrow, we remember together. We reclaim the circle. We widen it. We build. The fire is waiting. And so am I.

The Importance of Inclusivity in AI

In this journey, it’s essential to recognize that the future of AI should be inclusive. We must embrace diverse perspectives. Each voice adds a unique note to the symphony of innovation. When we gather around the fire, we create a tapestry of ideas that can lead to groundbreaking solutions.

AI is not just about algorithms and data. It’s about understanding human experiences and emotions. It’s about weaving together the threads of our collective narratives. This is where true innovation lies.

Building a Human-Centered AI

As we move forward, let’s prioritize a human-centered approach to AI. This means designing technology that serves people, not the other way around. It means ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table. The stories we tell and the futures we imagine should reflect the richness of our diverse experiences.

Let’s be the architects of a future where technology enhances our humanity. A future where the sacred fire burns bright, illuminating the path for generations to come.

Together, we can create a world where AI is a tool for empowerment, creativity, and connection. The fire is waiting. And so am I.