The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday announced a $30 million investment aimed at fostering AI innovations across different countries in Africa.
Per the report, the fund was allocated to a new AI platform based in Africa. The firm is tasked with developing AI technology solutions safely, ethically and equitably.
The main goal of the initiative is to make AI technology accessible to scientists and innovators in Africa and enable them to develop solutions to local issues in different sectors, including health, agriculture, financial services, and innovation.
Driving Solutions With AI
Bill Gates said AI is “the most important advance in technology since the graphical user interface,” and therefore, everyone, irrespective of their class and geographical background, should have equal access to the benefits the technology has to offer.
“The world needs to make sure that everyone-and not just people who are well-off- benefits from artificial intelligence. Government and philanthropy will need to play a major role in ensuring that it reduces inequity and doesn’t contribute to it. This is the priority for my own work related to AI,” Gates said
The new AI firm will include a data repository, as well as technical development and regulatory policy experts, according to the report.
Artificial intelligence is gradually taking centre stage in Africa’s journey toward digitalization. AI movements in the continent are increasingly heating up with the entrance of big tech companies around the world, positioning Africa as a potential seedbed for AI innovations globally.
Tech Giants Bet Big on AI in Africa
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are not the only international organisation sharing in the mission to unlock the transformative potential of AI across Africa.
As recently as September, leading telecommunications company Huawei announced a $430 million investment plan to foster AI innovations across Africa, starting with 28 countries in the Northern Africa region. In addition to the investment, Huawei unveiled its strategy built on three core action areas to maximize the potential of AI in Africa.
A month prior, Google launched an “AI First Accelerator Program” for startups in Africa to enable innovators to build solutions to local challenges with artificial intelligence.
