Wits Announces Team to Advance AI Research in Africa

Wits Announces Team to Advance AI Research in Africa

Wits University has announced its team that will advance Africa’s AI initiative, Cirrus AI, a private sector led initiative bringing together academia and industry for the establishment of a world class artificial intelligence (AI) research and application capability for Africa.

The university team will be led by Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice- Chancellor and Principal, with Professor Emeritus Barry Dwolatzky (project lead), Professor Nithaya Chetty, Dean of the Faculty of Science, as the champion for scientific engagement, and Dr Roy Forbes as the engagement coordinator.The university team will work closely with the Cirrus team that was announced at AI Expo Africa in 2020.

Wits said in a statement in March that its team is focused on two main priorities. The first is to support the establishment of the AI Africa (AIA) Consortium which will provide the mechanism for bringing together academic and research institutions with a vested interest in the success and sustainability of Cirrus as Africa's AI effort.

The second priority is lead engagement and co-ordination with government on the adoption of Cirrus, support for local academic and research institutions to invigorate AI research and to further the application of AI across various academic and industrial domains.

Cirrus, which is the largest and most complex undertaking of its kind, is rallying the academic and research institutions in Africa to create a critical mass of research and applications that can fully leverage the capabilities that the initiative will establish.

Most of the institutions participating in the AIA Consortium will be publicly funded academic institutions from across the continent. With Wits University, Cirrus now has a leading university on the continent and a competent team to spearhead this important work.

South African and numerous other African universities currently host various academic and industrial research groups. These groups are involved in, amongst other things, activities ranging from environmental and climate change research, medical research to materials research and energy storage development and design.

Cirrus founder Gregg Barrett points out that most, if not all, these existing research thrusts could benefit significantly from

incorporating AI methodologies in their research activities. "Furthermore, in working together as opposed to working in isolated groups the impact of the research will also be improved,” says Barrett.

Wits said the establishment of Cirrus is therefore a rallying call to the academic and research institutions in Africa for there to be a critical mass of research and applications that can fully leverage the capabilities that will be established with Cirrus.

Dwolatzky said Wits has been on long journey with Cirrus to bring all of the elements of this ambitious partnership into place. "We are hoping to soon begin to sign up members of the AI Africa (AIA) Consortium and to see tangible benefits flowing from our engagement with Cirrus,” added Dwolatzky.

Wits said its endeavours extend beyond the AIA Consortium and includes catalysing necessary strategic policy engagements with government to ensure impact on important research and societal objectives.

“The critical strategic steps that need to be taken in Africa have long been spoken about and now is the time for action. As Marc Andreessen recently pointed out, a takeaway from the COVID-19 pandemic is that people need to think about their occupation and contribution to society. If you are not helping people directly, and your occupation does not lead to something being built and contributes little to society, you are failing yourself. Cirrus represents Africa’s collective opportunity to move past the talk and get building on solving real problems with significant societal impacts,” said Barrett.