Senegalese Researcher and Entrepreneur Moustapha Cissé Named to TIME100 AI 2026 Alongside Elon Musk and Sam Altman

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Senegalese researcher and entrepreneur Moustapha Cissé has been named among the individuals selected for the TIME100 AI 2026, the annual list published by TIME magazine highlighting people shaping the development and impact of artificial intelligence around the world. He joins several prominent figures in the sector, including Elon Musk and Sam Altman.

The recognition highlights the career of a Senegalese AI specialist whose work and initiatives span research, education and entrepreneurship.

Cissé has worked as an artificial intelligence researcher at Facebook and Google. He has also contributed to the development of AI education in Africa, notably through the creation of a master’s program in machine learning at the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS).

From AI research to healthcare entrepreneurship

Cissé later turned his attention to entrepreneurship in the healthcare sector.

In September 2024, he launched Sura, a company developed by Kera Health Platforms. The initiative uses artificial intelligence to accelerate the processing of health insurance claims and improve interactions between insurers, patients and healthcare providers.

According to Cissé, Sura can analyze medical records and process certain claims in approximately 30 seconds. The technology is designed to address a major challenge in Senegal, where healthcare providers can wait several months to receive reimbursement from insurance companies.

For the entrepreneur, these delays have direct consequences for access to healthcare. Patients who cannot afford to pay medical expenses out of pocket may be forced to postpone treatment, while healthcare providers have to absorb lengthy reimbursement periods.

Sura’s model also includes human intervention when its artificial intelligence identifies a case requiring further review. According to the company, AI is therefore not designed to make rejection decisions on its own.

Following its launch in Senegal, Sura expanded into Côte d’Ivoire in 2026. Cissé, who has also been appointed a member of Senegal’s Conseil National du Numérique (CNN), says the platform now covers tens of thousands of people, with plans to enter a third African market in the coming months.

The company also intends to expand internationally, including into the United States.

Another distinctive feature of Sura’s model is its reliance on WhatsApp for much of its communication and transactions with users, rather than requiring them to use a dedicated mobile application.

Beyond insurance, Cissé presents the project as an effort to build technological infrastructure capable of transforming access to healthcare over the long term. He advocates for the use of artificial intelligence to move healthcare away from a predominantly reactive model toward a more preventive approach.

Cissé’s inclusion in the TIME100 AI 2026 represents international recognition of his work in artificial intelligence and brings a Senegalese perspective into the global conversation surrounding the development and application of AI.