The UK government supports the G20 ‘AI for Africa initiative announced in Cape Town and supports new AI projects across Africa.
The AI for Africa Initiative aims to develop projects that promote the responsible and comprehensive use of artificial intelligence innovation across the continent.
These projects are delivered in partnership with major African and international organizations and are intended to accelerate development outcomes, enhance democratic resilience, and ensure the safe and equitable use of AI technology.
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said, “AI has the power to promote growth, build trust, change life, and every country needs to share it. That’s why we support Africa-led innovation that puts people first, tackles real-world challenges, and builds global resilience.
“By working with countries like South Africa, we are making AI safer, more equitable and inclusive, and helping our communities shape the future on their own terms.”
Evidence Alliance of Social Impacts Set to Deploy Technology for AI Social Good
As part of the AI for Africa initiative, the UK’s Foreign and Federal Development Agency (FCDO) is partnering with the Canadian Centre for International Development Research (IDRC) and the leading philanthropic science funder, community Jameel, to launch the AI Evidence Alliance for Social Impact (AESI).
This is a new £2.75 million initiative to promote evidence-based deployment of AI for Africa’s social interests. It will also form part of a wide $7.5 million collaboration with Google.org to support AI impact assessments.
The partnerships are as follows:
To provide an experimental assessment to identify which AI tools have real-world impacts in Africa and Asia, strengthen real-world research leadership and capabilities.
“Artificial intelligence holds extraordinary possibilities, but only if the tools, knowledge and power that shape it are accessible to everyone — this includes contextually grounded research and evidence of what works and what doesn’t.”
“That’s why IDRC is proud to support this new assessment work as part of its ongoing commitment to responsible scaling of proven, secure, comprehensive, locally related AI innovation.”
The AI for Africa initiative ensures that AI investments in low- and middle-income countries are evidence-based, comprehensive and align with development priorities.
Mitigating AI-related safety and security risks
A new African hub for AI security, security and peace has been established at the University of Cape Town, making it the 12th multidisciplinary global AI lab and the second in South Africa.
The hub will be supported across sub-Saharan Africa through the UK and Canada AI Development Programme (AI4D). This pioneering lab focuses on understanding and mitigating safety and security risks associated with AI, ensuring that African context and perspectives are part of the global AI governance debate.
The hubs are:
Build the capacity for African researchers, policymakers and communities to develop the capacity to detect and tackle AI-related harms, develop governance frameworks and technical tools tailored to African contexts, promote community engagement, promote co-design, and ensure solutions reflect the local priorities of African actors in the global AI rulemaking process.
The launch is in line with the priorities of South Africa’s G20 presidency and the AI for Africa Initiative, and will strengthen the continent’s leadership in shaping the future of responsible AI.
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