Synapse - Africa’s only AI Trade & Innovation Magazine - 2nd Quarter 2024 Issue 23

Africa's only AI Trade & Innovation Magazine

AFRICAN AI ATTRACTING INVESTMENT

G42 invests in Kenya

GOOGLE improves connectivity

MICROSOFT invests in South African AI jobs

SOUTH AFRICA opens 4th National AI hub

7TH EDITION OF AI EXPO AFRICA

SHAPING UP FOR BIGGEST SHOW TO DATE

GUEST EDITORS

REGIONAL EDITORS

Natasha Ochiel (Kenya) Co-Founder | CEO

The AI Centre of Excellence natasha@aiceafrica.com natasha-ochiel

In a bid to champion Artificial Intelligence in Africa, she co-founded the AI Centre of Excellence that aims to build sustainable value for AI in Africa by building capacity, building demand and building AI solutions through the Centre in Kenya.

Darlington Akogo (Ghana) CEO, minoHealth AI / KaraAgro AI & Member of United Nations ITU & WHO Focus Group on AI For Health darlingtonakogo

Darlington Akogo is a global leader in Artificial Intelligence. He's the Founder and Director of Artificial Intelligence at GUDRA, and its subsidiaries; minoHealth; an AI Healthtech company based in Ghana.

Naomi Molefe MSc, Manager: Strategic Sourcing and Research at Discovery & Co-Founder & Chapter Director Women In Big Data, South Africa

naomimolefe

N

aomi is the co-Founder and Chapter Director for women in Big Data SA; a registered NPO that is part of a global community of 17 000 women. The learning community works with strategic partners to cultivate tangible opportunities for women, unlock latent potential through accessible training and act as a catalyst for the advancement of women in Big Data fields.

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR

Deon Van Zyl (Norway) Senior System Developer Nordic Semiconductor

deonvanzyl

For 25 years, I have been an accomplished IT professional who is skilled in multiple languages with a strong background in development, security, digital forensics, automation, AI, management, and teaching. Through my work, I have been exposed to various industries, influenced public opinion, and networked with innovative leaders. As a roving Guest Editor, I write about new technologies that are reshaping the world such as Artificial Intelligence, VR & AR, Cybersecurity, Web3 and more.

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

Dr Nick Bradshaw Editor

& CEO

AI

Media Group

nickbradshaw

Nick is a Tech focused Executive / Entrepreneur helping clients, communities, practitioners & start-ups understand the value of Artificial Intelligence, Automation & Digital solutions in EMEA region. With 25 years experience in Europe, North America & Africa Nick has worked with a diverse set of Multi $bn global clients seeking to deploy and mature Enterprise grade software & cloud solutions. He is founder of the AI Media Group a new hybrid media, events, consulting & trade community offering clients insights into the growing 4IR opportunity in Africa. AI Media publish Synapse Magazine and run Africa’s largest Enterprise AI Trade Show – AI Expo Africa."

ABOUT SYNAPSE MAGAZINE

Synapse Magazine chronicles the 4th Industrial Revolution as it unfolds in Africa and plays a vital part in connecting the members of this rapidly growing trade community across the region. With a global readership, it puts Africa centre stage with a clear focus on the African 4IR innovation & investment narrative. We cover a range of technologies including; artificial intelligence (AI), intelligent automation (IA), robotic process automation (RPA), internet of things (IoT), big data, analytics & devices, as well as emerging standards, ethics and privacy concerns. Now entering its 6th year of publication, this unique quarterly trade publication is FREE to read on the ISSUU platform.

Welcome to the Q2 edition of Synapse, the 23rd publication of our magazine. Its been busy busy time at AI Media HQ as the world of AI never sleeps! The pace of innovation this year as continued unabated and its actually hard to keep up - good job we have our dedicated team of contributing editors helping put our magazine together. Its seems there is not a day that goes by with some major news item around the African AI Ecosystem and the last quarter has been no different. The big news stories of corporates investing into Africa continues with the likes of Google, Microsoft, Core42 and others leading the charge. Infrastructure, connectivity and job creation is the main game in town but look closer and the startup ecosystem is also growing - even despite the funding winter which may now be thawing. If you are new to AI and just starting out - check out the SA AI Association new “Start your Journey in AI” resource guide (link https:// saaiassociation.co.za/start-your-journey-in-ai/ ) a page full of links to free content, training, guide, communities and more. As we start to turn our head towards the 7th Edition of AI Expo Africa, the largest B2B AI event in Africa, we can confirm that we are now including 8x CPD certified workshops this year for up to 1600 delegates and looking to run our largest event to date - so don’t delay - get planning and secure your place TODAY! Enjoy the 23rd Edition of Synapse where we highlight some of these developments and issues and be sure to sign up for the 7th Edition of AI Expo Africa https://aiexpoafrica.com/ in Johannesburg 30-31st October and don’t forget to join the South African AI Association here - individual membership is FREE! https:// saaiassociation.co.za/

PUBLISHER

AI Media Group

Web www.aimediagroup.co.za

EDITOR

Nick Bradshaw

GUEST EDITORS

Natasha Ochiel (Kenya)

Darlington Akogo (Ghana)

Naomi Molefe (South Africa)

Deon Van Zyl (Global)

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES enquiries@aiexpoafrica.com

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE & ADMIN

Mia Muylaert mia.muylaert@aiexpoafrica.com

LAYOUT, DESIGN & PRINT

Karin Liebenberg iCandy Design

Email: karinl@icandydesign.co.za

2 AI Expo Africa 2023: Look back at AI Expo Africa 2023

6 Navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption in organisations

9 4 Ways AI delivers extra workforce capacity

10 Stellenbosch-based AI start-up receives R60m funding

12 AI in Africa. The future of AI for B2B is exciting but it may not be LLMs and Deep Learning

15 SA opens Africa’s first militaryfocused AI hub

19 Andile Ngcaba lobbies for minister of AI

20 What I’ve learnt about business through playing Fantasy Premier League

22 Improving connectivity and accelerating economic growth across Africa with new investments

25 Google opens applications for AI Accelerator Africa

27 Humans and AI – exploring the cylcle of complementary coexistence

28 Microsoft invests $70 million in South Africa for job creation and AI advancement

29 Using AI to decolonize health care in Africa – How artificial intelligence can help empower communities to create their own solutions

32 How AI is impacting policy processes and outcomes in Africa

34 G42 and Kenya’s EcoCloud unveil green-powered mega data center collaboration

36 AI becomes latest frontier in China-US race for Africa

39 Africa’s push to regulate AI starts now

42 International: AI regulation and policy in Africa

44 African AI pioneer InstaDeep ready for future after €500m takeover

48 The Dawn of on-device AI processing

Navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption in organisations

In a world where Generative AI has taken us by storm, organisations are under a lot of pressure not to fall behind. Executives and technology leaders strive to innovate and remain competitive, while they are also concerned about the risks associated with AI, including its impact on the workforce. In this article, we will explore these issues and provide practical recommendations for organisations seeking to embrace AI for sustainable growth and success.

The bandwagon that is Generative AI

Generative AI (GenAI) is a rapidly evolving branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can generate artefacts previously created predominantly by humans. It can personalise customer experiences, summarise documents, and even write computer code to accelerate software development. However, with numerous exciting applications, how can organisations prioritise their efforts? While it might be an exciting GenAI use case to create a video of a unicorn composing classical music on Mars, one must ask how would this application help your organisation increase its bottom line?

With 2024 being a critical year, GenAI is being considered and used in transforming the way businesses operate. Progressive success will be exhibited by organisations that are successful in pairing AI with their business strategy and weaving technology into the fabric of their operations. This means, starting with the critical business objectives and using AI to accelerate its achievement. Through this exercise, the organisations can address key challenges of data, processes and people to create an ecosystem that is primed to embrace AI. This then becomes a repeatable recipe for leveraging AI in the next strategic goal.

Safeguarding your organisation against the risks of AI

AI presents a wealth of opportunities for organisations, but it also comes with inherent risks including ethical concerns, bias, hallucination, lack of transparency and data privacy. The use of AI as a black box, without transparency in the decision-making process, can have severe consequences. For instance, an AI algorithm may unintentionally exclude certain demographics from accessing some facilities. This could be due to a lack of diversity in the training data or the parameters in the algorithm being biased towards a specific outcome presenting an ethical risk. Additionally, the model may generate high-confidence responses that appear to be based on real data but are not grounded in the training data, resulting in hallucinations. Trust in AI is not inherent; it must be intentionally built with the values and objectives of the organisation in mind.

The need for proactive AI governance in organisations

In the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, regulatory bodies worldwide are still grappling with the implications of AI on public interest and safety with the world’s first comprehensive AI regulation, the EU AI Act, only coming into effect in December 2023. As such, organisations cannot solely rely on regulation to ensure compliance. Instead, they must proactively establish their guardrails

Author: Jania Okwechime, PhD Partner | AI and Data Deloitte Africa

and frameworks to fully embrace AI with confidence. At Deloitte, we recognise this need and have developed our Trustworthy AI TM framework through our Global AI Institute. This framework guides organisations in building trust within their AI ecosystem through six pillars: fair and impartial, robust and reliable, transparent and explainable, safe and secure, accountable and responsible, and respectful of privacy.

The goal of such an AI governance framework is to provide clear guidelines and actions to mitigate AI risks. This entails putting processes in place to check for diversity in the data and defining a risk rating system for AI applications to determine the level of due diligence and frequency of re-training required. Putting controls in place in the form of a human in the loop to create accountability and reliability and ensuring compliance with various data privacy regulations acts such as GDPR, NDPR and the POPI Act.

The role of leadership in building an AI-ready organisation

Leadership plays a critical role in building an organisation that can confidently embrace AI and innovate while maintaining the trust of its customers and staff. This involves establishing a strong governance framework and fostering a culture of innovation, ethics and trust.

The board sets the tone at the top, promoting a disruptor’s mindset and cascading a culture of innovation and ethical values throughout the organisation. Leadership at all levels must take practical steps to build AI fluency, working closely with technology leaders to align the organisation’s strategic goals with its AI initiatives. This enables the harnessing of technology for business growth, cost reduction and improved customer and employee experiences.

Leadership should act as an enabler, carefully sponsoring the organisation’s AI maturity journey through investment in technology, talent and capability building. Promoting policies and frameworks for trustworthy AI is essential, as is understanding the implications of AI on talent and embracing a culture of change and continued education. By working with trusted advisors and alliance ecosystems, leadership can transform roles within the organisation, future-proofing the business in an era where AI becomes the fabric of the business.

4 WAYS AI DELIVERS EXTRA WORKFORCE CAPACITY

/ By Doug McNeilage /

In our private and working lives we regularly turn to technology to help lighten the load – it’s not that we can’t do a certain task, we’d just prefer it was done more efficiently by other means. Take GPS for example; humans are capable of reading a map, but Google Maps can plot a route far more effectively, leaving your passenger with more time to soundtrack the road trip and dish out the snacks.

For the same reasons, companies are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to augment their human workforce, giving them extra capacity to deliver better customer experiences (CX). AI and automation can not only be a huge asset for agents on the front-line handling customer interactions, but also employees at every level can see huge benefits.

 Agents: AI solutions can reduce the number of interactions agents are handling and improve skills through realtime guidance or building personalized coaching programs.

 Management: Technology helps to streamline longer and more arduous tasks, such as recruitment, staff rotas and quality management to ensure team leaders have capacity to deliver better business outcomes.

 Analysts: Bots help to analyze comprehensive engagement data and uncover trends that help to shape CX strategy.

By implementing AI for better customer experiences and operational efficiency, brands start on a journey to achieving CX automation within the contact centre. This generates additional capacity for your workforce, potentially driving huge ROI by giving agents time flexibility to deliver better customer experiences.

We’ve identified four leading outcomes that are possible when companies embrace AI.

Autonomous AI: No Need for Human

Input

Containment bots act as the gatekeeper for customer interactions, resolving the most straightforward, common queries and removing the need for escalation to a human agent (although they can hand over more complex questions when required).

Customer inquiries, such as retail order tracking or booking a hotel, are answered by a chat bot from the first contact. AI bots trained on the business’ unique data understand the most common intents and provide personalized answers.

“ Customers don’t want to wait too long whilst agents try to find relevant information to help resolve their query. It’s the opposite of good CX. The key to successful customer/agent conversations is delivering the right answers at the right time to improve first contact resolution rates. ”

The conversation is contained without escalation to an agent, reducing your employees’ workload and giving them greater capacity for handling more complicated cases.

Improving Interactions from Behind the Scenes

Customers don’t want to wait too long whilst agents try to find relevant information to help resolve their query. It’s the opposite of good CX. The key to successful customer/ agent conversations is delivering the right answers at the right time to improve first contact resolution rates.

AI-powered knowledge suggestion can bring efficiency to a customer interaction by recognizing context and customer intent and suggesting relevant articles for the agent to cite and share. By removing the need for a lengthy manual search, customers receive swift and accurate answers from a single source of truth that ensures consistency across a wide number of customer queries. However, not all interactions go this smoothly. If a customer reaches out with a complaint or has a negative reaction during a conversation, real-time coaching can be an essential tool for an agent. The support provided is similar to knowledge suggestion, but instead of shareable content, the AI

...continues on page 11

AI solutions provider Spatialedge has secured funding of R60 million to further revolutionise the retail sector.

STELLENBOSCH-BASED

AI START-UP RECEIVES R60M FUNDING

/ Read original article here /

Spatialedge, a Stellenbosch-based data and applied artificial intelligence (AI) solutions startup, has secured R60 million in funding from the Hlayisani Growth Fund.

n a statement, the company says the funding marks a milestone in its mission to transform the retail industry.

Established in 2017, it operates out of Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands.

Spatialedge says it enables organisations to build and operationalise machine learning solutions, so as to deliver business value faster through its suite of decision tools and team of engineers who integrate the solutions into core business systems.

According to the company, it has experienced exponential growth, surpassing R300 million in revenue, and established a track record with many of Africa’s largest multinational enterprises.

“We have worked directly with our customers for seven years, researching, developing and delivering cutting-edge, tailored solutions that solve real-world business problems,” says Retief Gerber, CEO of Spatialedge.

“With this recent investment boost, we are now able to accelerate the process of releasing these solutions into the market and make them accessible to more customers.”

According to Gerber, the fresh capital will enable the business to expand its research and development efforts and enhance its product line-up.

“Our portfolio of products is years in the making and has been meticulously crafted and refined through extensive real-world application,” states Gerber. “This handson experience has not only proven the effectiveness of our technologies but has also

“ We have worked directly with our customers for seven years, researching, developing and delivering cutting-edge, tailored solutions that solve real-world business problems,” says Retief Gerber, CEO of Spatialedge. ”

allowed for continuous improvement based on direct feedback and ever-evolving market needs.”

Gerber adds that the AI solutions developed by the business are focused on optimising enterprise operational decision-making, including optimal pricing of retail products, capital allocation, labour scheduling and markdown optimisation.

“These solutions are underpinned by a core platform that accelerates the development of machine learning models and streamlines the process of promoting these models to a production environment,” comments Gerber.

The Hlayisani Growth Fund is a South African fund focused on investing in highgrowth, high-impact African technology companies.

The fund is aimed at growth-stage firms that have proven their business model and are looking to expand locally and internationally. It aims to support businesses that demonstrate a potential for industry leadership and sustainable innovation.

As the R700 million Hlayisani Venture Fund II that launched in Q1 of 2023 approaches its closing stage, the Hlayisani Growth Fund’s R60 million investment in Spatialedge signifies a belief in the company’s potential to continue leading the charge in retail technology innovation, says Spatialedge.

Mathew Palin, partner at the Hlayisani Growth Fund, says: “Spatialedge exemplifies the type of forward-thinking and impactful companies we aim to support with the Hlayisani Venture Fund II.

“Their proven track record with major brands and commitment to advancing the big data and AI landscape aligns perfectly with our investment philosophy. We are confident Spatialedge is well-positioned to continue to have a significant impact in the industry. We look forward to supporting them on their journey and helping them reach new heights.”

“ The Hlayisani Growth Fund is a South African fund focused on investing in high-growth, high-impact African technology companies. ”

...continued from page 9

gives guidance for steer a conversation towards a positive outcome, ideally improving both customer and employee experience.

Enabling a Flexible Working Environment

Building staffing schedules that ensure high quality customer experiences and offer enough flexibility to satisfy your workforce can be a tricky balancing act. Fortunately, it's another area where AI can come in handy, helping to predict customer demand and shape decisions for building shift patterns across an organization. The technology takes into account a myriad of internal and external factors that can impact customer interaction volumes and adjusts its forecasts accordingly. It’s adding capacity without increasing complexity.

Once managers have set their staffing levels, they need employees to fill the shifts. However, agents also need flexibility to ensure a good work/ life balance. Organizations can integrate AI tools that give agents time flexibility, empowering them to autonomously change their schedules in real-time. The solutions remove the need for a lengthy approval process while making sure the shift changes don’t negatively impact the business or CX delivery.

Monitoring Every Customer Interaction

The completeness of your interaction data dictates the quality of your insights. This makes AI transcription and ingestion of every customer conversation vital for building datadriven insights. With the details of 100% of customer interactions, your analysts have access to a constantly growing source of invaluable behavioural data.

This precise record of customer engagement gives a complete understanding of interactions by channel and the challenges agents and customers encounter at each touchpoint. Analysts can also determine how effectively issues are being resolved. By consolidating these insights with workforce data and customer feedback, organizations can more easily visualize customer journeys and build more successful CX strategies.

Your Path to AI Outcomes Now

The most effective AI solutions perform specific tasks that give agents, managers and analysts extra capacity. What does that increased capacity mean? It enables organizations to generate positive AI outcomes that solve genuine customer engagement problems. As CX increases in the contact center, organizations can simultaneously elevate CX and increase operational efficiency, enabling them to build lifelong customer relationships.

Douglas McNeilage is the Regional Director for Verint South Africa. www.verint.com

“

Once managers have set their staffing levels, they need employees to fill the shifts. However, agents also need flexibility to ensure a good work/ life balance. Organizations can integrate AI tools that give agents time flexibility, empowering them to autonomously change their schedules in real-time. The solutions remove the need for a lengthy approval process while making sure the shift changes don’t negatively impact the business or CX delivery. ”

We are still in the middle of the AI hype bubble, but the rate of change is increasing so we will exit the hype markets faster. When this happens we will go directly onto a business roller coaster, it’s going to be a white-knuckle ride. The sales and marketing AI markets look likely to exit the hype cycle first, before the end of this year, but our focus is on go-to-market for B2B businesses so our comments have to be taken in the context of how we see the market.

The global AI markets are driven by LLM’s and Deep Learning but are they relevant to emerging markets? Will they work and add the same value in our B2B markets? They will lift the base case but offer average or lowest common denominator outputs which may not be relevant to our business markets. They will lack the most vital ingredient of all, context. I believe the future for emerging markets B2B AI is Small Language Models and Simple Statistical Models. Here’s why.

AI IN AFRICA.

The future of AI for B2B is exciting but it may not be LLMs and Deep Learning

/ Read original article here /

Emerging Market AI Drivers

1. African B2B Tech Market Drivers. The West sees AI innovation as digital-todigital, and African markets are driven by digital to bricks-and-mortar innovations. We use tech differently and are solving different problems.

2. USD Exposure. High currency volatility in Africa is driving business models and buying behaviours. Centralised compute off 100% USD-based backbone is becoming an increasingly fragile business model. Exchange rate fluctuations often push marginal business models over the line. Two-tier models are emerging where the primary load is carried through the USD backbone and the larger secondary load is carried on cheaper, locally priced servers or bare tin. Managing USD exposure is easier for smaller models. India and China are present in these markets as a result.

3. Data Connectivity remains the universal African currency. Mobile data remains expensive and we are a mobile-first market. Large centralised compute AI models mean lots of data has to

move and someone has to pay. Digital and financial inclusion and creating sustainable business models means collapsing the cost to serve, not increasing it.

4. Our Markets are Complex, Distributed and Fragmented, culturally, geographically and skills-wise and we remain peoplefirst economies. The TAM is enormous but we are a market of micro-markets. Smaller models offer higher value in each market and make micro-markets financially viable.

5. The Western Model of Centralised Compute AI to cater for LLMs and Deep Learning with high GPU costs makes many business models unviable in our markets. Access to market and the cost of distribution remain high, adding high back office costs will not be sustainable. Decentralised compute models are quicker to build, cheaper to run and collapse the cost to enter.

6. We are Data-poor. Our data is fragmented, distributed, unstructured and often not easily available. Centralising, structuring and cleaning it is time-

...continues on page 17

State of AI in Africa

AI, with its vast applications, is set to bring about a structural transformation in national security.

SA OPENS AFRICA’S FIRST MILITARYFOCUSED AI HUB

/ Read original article here /

South Africa now has an artificial intelligence (AI) institute dedicated to the defence and military sector, as part of the hubs of the AI Institute of South Africa (AIISA).

ITWeb first reported on the imminent launch of the AI hub at the South African Military Academy last month.

On Friday, communications minister Mondli Gungubele officially launched the Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit (DAIRU) at the academy in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape.

DAIRU is the fourth hub to be added, after the launch of others at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in 2022, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in 2023 and the Central University of Technology in February.

The DAIRU hub, according to the minister, is the first of its kind on the African continent.

The new hub is a collaborative effort between Gungubele’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) and Department of Defence and Military Veterans.

According to the DCDT, DAIRU aims to harness the “transformative” power of AI to elevate South Africa’s defence sector, ensuring the country keeps up with the pace of utilising cutting-edge technology to maintain strategic advantage and national security.

“

“The launch of this Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit is not simply a bureaucratic ritual with little to no significance or practical impact. We have held numerous public events around 4IR [the fourth industrial revolution], all of them setting the tone in educating and promoting this new technology among South Africans. ”

The two departments, having realised the importance of technological-led AI development and application, devised a process to launch the defence AI hub to focus on military uses of AI, automation and robotics, said Gungubele.

“As a democratic state, we wholly support the belief that AI is key to groundbreaking socio-economic development for the country.

“The launch of this Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit is not simply a bureaucratic ritual with little to no significance or practical impact. We have held numerous public events around 4IR [the fourth industrial revolution], all of them setting the tone in educating and promoting this new technology among South Africans.

“As we meet today, we take an important step towards a future that benefits our

country through AI, positioning ourselves strategically as a country to be reckoned with and as a viable trading partner in a globally connected future.”

Artificial intelligence continues to grow in importance worldwide, with the United Arab Emirates appointing an AI-dedicated minister to lead that nation’s AI strategy. This prompted SA businessman Andile Ngcaba to call for a similar post locally.

Last year saw unprecedented AI advancements, with a wide range of tools, solutions and industries adopting the technology. The launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022 brought to public attention the power of generative AI. Since then, Google’s Gemini Pro, Microsoft’s Bing AI and Elon Musk's xAI have been introduced, showcasing generative AI’s evolution.

Most recently, Facebook owner Meta kicked off its AI push through its chatbot embedded across its social media platforms – Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads.

In South Africa, the launch of the AIISA institutes signals the realisation of one of the recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, to catapult the country’s digital future.

The hubs are expected to serve as a common base for knowledge generation, research and development, as well as implementing the capabilities of AI applications for health, agriculture, finance, mining, manufacturing and government.

Each hub is linked with an economic sector that can be enhanced through AI and a series of catalytical projects.

For example, the UJ hub focuses on the value chain of manufacturing, retail, fintech, digital mining, the energy sector, digital banking and identity, as well as the criminal justice system.

The TUT hub is linked to automotive, farming and food production, 4IR manufacturing, tourism, health, transportation and telecommunications.

Gungubele revealed the purpose is to ensure sectors such as water and waste management, the just energy transition, built environment, health, telecoms, media and languages also have AI hubs.

AI in defence targets

The minister said emerging technologies, including AI, are now the focal points of geopolitical competition, with nations like China, Russia and the US aggressively exploring the military applications of AI.

“ The hubs are expected to serve as a common base for knowledge generation, research and development, as well as implementing the capabilities of AI applications for health, agriculture, finance, mining, manufacturing and government. ”

Inside the South African Military Academy in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape.

The rapid pace of technological innovation, coupled with the rise of Asia as a global trade hub, necessitates a re-evaluation of national security strategies, he noted. AI, akin to electricity or fossil fuels, has the potential to redefine modern militaries and reshape the global balance of power, he added.

“The convergence of physical, digital and biological technologies heralds the onset of a significant technological revolution. Governing these emerging technologies at a global level is imperative to mitigate the risks of future conflicts.

“As AI technologies become increasingly integrated into the world’s militaries, establishing clear guidelines and riskreduction measures will be crucial to ensure global peace and security.

“ The minister noted it’s expected there will be an exponential rise of AI in military applications over the next decade.

The military is seeking to integrate AI into weapon systems development to enhance precision, as well as augment human operators with AI-driven robotic manoeuvres on the battlefield. ”

“The national defence policy review underscores government’s focus on technology, with a significant budget allocation for defence technologies aligned to AI development and research.

“AI, with its vast applications, is set to bring about a structural transformation in national security. The defence review envisions this transformation and emphasises the need for a proactive approach to harness the potential of AI in defence and security.”

The minister noted it’s expected there will be an exponential rise of AI in military applications over the next decade. The military is seeking to integrate AI into weapon systems development to enhance precision, as well as augment human operators with AI-driven robotic manoeuvres on the battlefield.

AI already has deep impacts on nuclear armament, cyber and information warfare, biotechnologies and aerospace, he commented.

“The AI systems and applications combined with software are also expected to bring about an adversarial AI arms-race.

“AI supports long-term defence capability planning processes in the military through the development of analytical solutions, including supporting complex decision-making by assessing complex factors.”

...continued from page 12

consuming, slow and expensive. Our markets are fragmented so centralising the data may not yield good results. Smaller models are much easier to build with poor data. In data-poor markets improving simple decision making can yield exponential results. We don't need to be right, we need to be better than we were. It's better to be roughly right than precisely wrong.

7. Skills. The gold rush for data scientists makes launching AI-first businesses expensive. High GPU costs and high AI skills costs increase and front-load the cost to launch. Our markets are largely unfunded, we are not able to compete with the West for skills. A decentralised skills pool building small, simple, locally relevant models off poor data is something we can excel at and are markets we can lead and defend.

We are working hard to gather the data to understand the market better, we work closely with founder-led AI businesses, so the comments above, while being informed are not supported by data yet. We don’t include the “We’re building a bot” market in the AI market. This market will remain a blood bath as big guys continuously collapse it in the race to the bottom.

Centralised compute models requiring large clean data sets using USD GPUs with high connectivity costs will make many AI business models unsustainable. We remain complex fragmented distribution-first markets. We are a market of micro-markets where every model has a small TAM and ROI will come from more efficient, cost-effective models.

Will SLMs and Simple Statistical Models outperform LLMs and Deep Learning Models? If the context is different and the models specific, they have to.

Elevage in winemaking is improving every step of the process by 1% to produce a great wine. We need to apply these principles to AI in our markets but in a bottom-up way. We don’t have to compete with the West, we need to help our local markets be better than they were. As always, customer-centricity is the best defence. This is a market we can develop, monetise, lead and defend. The West is building aircraft carriers, we need to build an armada of speed boats. After the mature digital economies have been served by their centralised compute models customer demand will fragment into micro-markets. If you want to see the future, come to Africa.

The Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit is located at the SA Military Academy in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape.

Andile Ngcaba, chairman and founding partner of Convergence Partners.

ANDILE NGCABA LOBBIES FOR MINISTER OF AI

/ Read original article here /

Businessman Andile

Ngcaba has called for South Africa’s own minister of artificial intelligence (AI), in the next administration.

Ngcaba made this comment at the 30 years of ICT in a democratic South Africa celebration hosted by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies on Friday.

South Africans will take to the polls on 29 May to elect the leadership of the seventh administration, in what is expected to be the most contested election in the last 30 years.

Confident that the current status quo will be maintained post the May elections, Ngcaba said: “Here is the request I want to put to you minister [Mondli Gungubele] for the president…this thing of a minister of [artificial] intelligence is not a joke – it must happen.

“We expect it to be announced when new ministers are announced now in July when you win the elections. We expect that you will convince the president that a new minister of AI will be part of that new administration. We don’t expect anything less.

“We look forward to a new policy process that’s going to take us forward in the new administration.”

As AI continues to grow in importance, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the first country to appoint an AI minister in 2017. Omar Sultan Al Olama is the UAE’s minister of state for AI, digital economy and remote work application, as part of leading that nation’s AI strategy.

Last year, in Romania, the country’s prime minister reportedly unveiled an honorary government adviser joining his team – run entirely on AI.

In addition, last year saw unprecedented AI advancements, with a wide range of tools, solutions and industries adopting the technology. The launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022 brought to public attention the power of generative AI. Since then, Google’s Gemini Pro, Microsoft’s Bing AI and Elon Musk's xAI have been launched, showcasing generative AI’s evolution.

ICT sector wins

Ngcaba is chairman, founder and majority shareholder of investment group Convergence Partners, and is also former executive chairman of systems integrator Dimension Data. He serves as president of Digital Council Africa

Soon after SA transitioned to a democracy, he took up the position of director-general of the then-Department of Communications for eight-and-a-half years until December 2003.

At the communications department, Ngcaba was responsible for policy formulation that restructured the ICT sector, and presided over various initiatives to reorganise and overhaul the telecoms sector.

During this time, more than 10 pieces of legislation were produced, including the Convergence Bill, which was subsequently promulgated as the Electronic Communications Act of 2006.

On Friday, he highlighted some of the strides made in mobile connectivity over the last 30 years, saying the minister and president have been shy in talking about this.

While other sectors have faced troubles, he said there’s been significant progress in the ICT sector, attributing this to many of the ICT industry stakeholders that attended the day’s celebrations.

“As a country, we found ourselves in a lot of things that have gone wrong. However, the ones that have gone right, we’re almost too shy to talk about.

“For example, South Africa is number six in the world in terms of crossconnections, 15 submarine cables, and number 10 in terms of global internet exchange points. Shameel [Joosub] and them…I’ve lost count of how many mobile towers they’ve put up in the last 30 years.

“If this is not something to boast about, I’m not sure what to boast about. We need to tell people about this.

“As a sector, comparatively speaking, and all the other 35 ministries, it’s no joke that we’ve done exceptionally well. It has been everybody’s effort, from mobile operators and everyone else that has done so much to take our country where it is.”

“

In addition, last year saw unprecedented AI advancements, with a wide range of tools, solutions and industries adopting the technology. The launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022 brought to public attention the power of generative AI.

Since then, Google’s Gemini Pro, Microsoft’s Bing AI and Elon Musk's xAI have been launched, showcasing generative AI’s evolution. ”

WHAT I’VE LEARNT ABOUT BUSINESS THROUGH PLAYING FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE

/ Read original article here /

During the lockdown of 2020 I started managing a Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team. I needed something to distract me, and to reconnect with friends during the isolation. At the same time, I was also managing Predictive Insightsa machine-learning and economics start-up - as we tried to survive the first few years of our business’s life. This is a bit of a ‘fun’ take on the commonalities between the two, and on what I’ve learnt during the process.

PL is currently played by over 9 million ‘managers’ - for context 26.8 million people in the UK watched live Premier League coverage in 2020/21. Each manager tries to select a combination of English Premier League (football) players who will do well over the coming games and earn points for specific outcomes - like scoring goals or keeping clean sheets.

There is a limited budget, better players cost more, and players change value depending on demand by managers. There are other constraints too:

 one transfer of a player is free each week, and each subsequent transfer costs points;

 each team needs a balance of players in each position; and

 there is a limit to the number of specific players that can be selected from each Premiership team.

The full set of rules is here

In summary, this is a ‘game’ of luck, skill, and analytics - the same things that seem to matter in the business world.

So what did I learn about business through playing FPL?

1. You need to predict the future

In FPL you have to pick your team based on what you think will happen in the next, or next few, games. Aspects, like form, upcoming fixtures, and inherent characteristics of a player are all used by managers. Many people use their own knowledge about football, or the ‘eye-test’ of watching specific players.

Increasingly, managers are using data, models and advanced analytics to calculate ‘expected value’ (EV) or the number of points a player is expected to score in the next gameweek. Managers following this approach then try to maximise the EV of their team each week. Given my limited football knowledge, this is the analytics-based approach I try to follow.

A number of these EV predictors are available on the internet (like Fantasy Overlord or FPL review) but others (like me) try to build our own. FPL has an API with a lot of detailed data which can be used to build these models and is accessed with tools like fplscrapR

At Predictive Insights we do a similar thing in the business space - make forecasts of what is going to happen based on large and diverse sources of data, as well as robust statistical analysis. In our experience we’ve found that this data-driven approach is more accurate than traditional approaches and can free up people to do things that they are good at, like managing people, interacting with customers, or thinking strategically about business direction. Playing FPL has helped me think about business problems in a similar way to the FPL problem - what are the important things to predict which will actually have an impact on the business.

2. It’s about optimising where you spend your resources

In FPL you have £100 million at the beginning of the season to spend on buying 15 players. Once you’ve figured out which players you expect to score the most points in the upcoming gameweek

(or gameweeks) you need to get the best combination to maximise future points with the budget constraint you have. This can be a tricky problem to solve.

Innovators like Sertalp B. Çay have brought analytical optimisation techniques to FPL over the past two seasons and this approach is paying off - Sertalp is in the top 5,000 of players at the moment (in other words, the top 0.05% of players). Introductions to these approaches and other useful tools are available on his website

I’m a big fan of his live gameweek tracker which shows, in real time, how I’m expected to perform relative to different groups.

At Predictive Insights we’ve used some of these optimisation approaches to help clients better schedule staff, to decide on what to stock and where to place it, and how to prioritise orders and enquiries. Like in FPL, these analytical approaches can bring considerable monetary savings, but also, importantly, improvements in customer and staff satisfaction.

Optimising where and how I spend my time has been another aspect of running a small business with parallels to FPL. I have a limited amount of time and energy and have to think hard about how to use this where it is of the greatest benefit to the business and my colleagues.

3. Strategy matters

There are a number of aspects to FPL that make it more than ‘just’ an optimisation problem. There are special ‘chips’ which can be used at different times of the season to change your team (either permanently or temporarily), to back certain players, and to use players which are on your bench. This requires identifying the best times to use these chips and having strategies for each of them.

To complicate things further, the fixture schedule is not fixed but can be changed. In the past two seasons this has been due to Covid postponements but more generally it happens because teams have commitments as they advance in the Cup and European competitions. The best resource to keep track of future fixtures and likely blanks and double gameweeks, which will require specific strategies is Ben Crellin

As you can see in the figure above, I’ve not figured out the optimal strategy for many of these unusual gameweeks - I’m the orange, a sample of ‘elite’ managers are grey (including chess legend Magnus Carlson), and some of the players who rely heavily on analytics are in green. Most weeks I'm lagging against these better players.

Business also requires specific strategies which are often contextspecific. This is one area which machine learning projects often underestimate. In my experience, working closely with people who know the context is key for successful implementation of machine learning and data-driven solutions. These types of projects often also require organsiational change, which needs to be done in a sensitive and empathetic way, which also requires an understanding of the organisational culture.

If you have read this far, thank you!

I’m trying to put together a mini-league of players who are interested in improving at FPL through the better use of data and analytics. If you are interested please join here. I'll then try and pull your data for this season to create a benchmark for performance next season.

Neil Rankin is a founder of Predictive Insights, a machine learning and forecasting company which combines economic data, behavioural science and analytical techniques to produce accurate and useful business forecasts.

This is his second season playing FPL, and he almost made it into the top 100k in one lucky gameweek but has since slipped in rank.

IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY AND ACCELERATING ECONOMIC GROWTH ACROSS AFRICA WITH NEW INVESTMENTS

/ Read original article here /

We are excited to announce Umoja, a new fiber optic cable connecting Africa to Australia, and our expanded cybersecurity collaboration with Kenya, furthering our commitment to Africa's digital transformation.

Today, Google announced new investments in digital infrastructure and security initiatives designed to increase digital connectivity, accelerate economic growth, and deepen resilience across Africa.

Expanding connectivity in Africa with Umoja

To help increase the reach and reliability of digital connectivity for Africa, today we’re announcing Umoja, the first ever fiber optic route to directly connect Africa with Australia. Anchored in Kenya, the Umoja cable route will pass through Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, including the Google Cloud region, before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia. Umoja’s terrestrial path was built in collaboration with Liquid Technologies to form a highly scalable route through Africa, including access points that will allow other countries to take advantage of the network.

Umoja, which is the Swahili word for unity, joins Equiano in an initiative called Africa Connect. Umoja will enable African countries to more reliably connect with each other and the rest of the world. Establishing a new route distinct from existing connectivity routes is critical to maintaining a resilient network for a region that has historically experienced highimpact outages.

We are grateful for the partnership from leaders across Africa and Australia to deliver Africa Connect to people, businesses, and governments in Africa and around the world.

“Access to the latest technology, supported by reliable and resilient digital infrastructure, is critical to growing economic opportunity. This is a meaningful moment for Kenya’s digital transformation journey and the benefits of today’s announcement will cascade across the region.” - Meg Whitman, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya

"I am delighted to welcome Google’s investment in digital connectivity, marking a historic milestone for Kenya, Africa, and Australia. The new intercontinental fiber optic route will significantly enhance our global and regional digital infrastructure. This initiative is crucial in ensuring the redundancy and resilience of our region’s connectivity to the rest of the world, especially in light of recent disruptions caused by cuts to sub-sea cables. By strengthening our digital backbone, we are not only improving reliability but also paving

“ Google has long recognized the critical role investments in secure technology infrastructure have on connecting communities, expanding education, and driving healthy economic development within Africa and around the world. ”

the way for increased digital inclusion, innovation, and economic opportunities for our people and businesses." - H.E. Dr. William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya

“Diversifying Australia’s connectivity and supporting digital inclusion across the globe are both incredibly important objectives, and Google’s Umoja cable will help to do just that. Australia welcomes Google’s investment and congratulates all those involved in undertaking this crucial initiative.” - Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Australian Minister for Communications

“Africa’s major cities including Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, and Harare will no longer be hard-to-reach endpoints remote from the coastal landing sites that connect Africa to the world. They are now stations on a data superhighway that can carry thousands of times more traffic than currently reaches here. I am proud that this project helps us deliver a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind, regardless of how far they are from the technology centers of the world.” - Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman and founder of Liquid

Extending Our Collaboration

In addition to today’s infrastructure announcement, Google will sign a Statement of Collaboration with Kenya’s Ministry of Information Communications and The Digital Economy to accelerate joint efforts in cybersecurity, growing data-driven innovation, digital upskilling, and responsibly and safely deploying AI for societal benefits.

Strengthening Cybersecurity with Cloud-powered Solutions

As part of the collaboration, Google Cloud and Kenya are announcing that they intend to work together on strengthening Kenya’s cybersecurity. The Department of Immigration & Citizen Services is evaluating Google Cloud’s CyberShield solution and Mandiant expertise to strengthen the defense of its eCitizen platform. CyberShield enables governments to build enhanced cyberthreat capabilities, protect web-facing infrastructure, and helps teams develop skills and processes that drive effective security operations.

Realizing the Benefits of Digital Transformation

Google has long recognized the critical role investments in secure technology infrastructure have on connecting communities, expanding education, and driving healthy economic development within Africa and around the world. Since Google opened our first Sub-

Saharan Africa office in Nairobi in 2007, we have partnered with governments from countries across Africa on numerous digital initiatives. In 2021, we committed to invest $1 billion in Africa over five years to support a range of efforts, from improved connectivity to investment in startups, to help boost Africa’s digital transformation. Since then, Google has invested more than $900 million in the region, and we expect to fulfill our commitment by 2026. The collaboration introduced this week is the latest step towards delivering on our broader commitment to support Africa’s digital transformation, continued economic growth, and innovation.

Supporting Economic Growth: Between 2021 and 2023, third party estimates show that Google’s products and services provided more than $30 billion of economic activity across Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa’s internet economy has the potential to grow to $180 billion by 2025 – 5.2% of the continent’s GDP, according to a report by the International Finance Corporation. Investments like Umoja, coupled with developing talent who can benefit from, and add to, this growing digital economy, will help ensure citizens can access government services and critical information, while enabling businesses to thrive and generate durable economic growth for the local economy.

Skilling: Our training and certification initiatives help entrepreneurs get more out of the web, using digital technologies to build and sustain businesses and, in doing so, help generate durable economic growth for the local economy. For example, the Google Hustle Academy, a five-day bootcamp launched in 2022, focusing on subjects including leadership, business strategy, and e-commerce, has supported the growth of more than 3,500 small businesses in Kenya.

AI Innovations Created in Africa, for Africa: Through our AI Research Centers in Ghana and Nairobi, as well as the Product Development Center in Kenya, Google is continuing to build products and services to help tackle challenges across the continent. For example, in Kenya, Google partnered with Jacaranda Health to improve maternal health outcomes with expanded access to ultrasounds. Google is also working with Kenyan health organizations, including IntelliSOFT, Ona, and Medtronic Labs, to enhance the interoperability of digital health solutions. In addition, Google is running workshops with Kabarak University as part of Google’s efforts to support digital health innovation in Kenya.

Google is as committed as ever to partnering with communities, businesses, and governments in Africa to help foster even more innovation across the continent, and we are excited about this next chapter for Kenya and the region.

Invest in Tshwane

South Africa’s Capital City, the City of Tshwane, is situated in the province of Gauteng, the economic centre of South Africa. As the seat of government, Tshwane is the country’s administrative hub and houses 134 embassies, 30 international organisations making it second only to Washington DC in terms of the concentration of the diplomatic and foreign missions. It is also home to over 30 Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed companies as well as various multinational companies.

The city is home to four universities and various research institutes and its knowledge and information industry is well-developed. Tshwane has a high literacy rate, a large concentration of financial and business services in the region, support of educational institutions and communication infrastructure, including broadband capacity.

Why Tshwane?

Tshwane is the knowledge centre of South Africa. The City has a high concentration of academic, medical, social science, technology and scientific institutions which produces 90% of medical, science and technology research in the country and 60% of the country’s overall research output. The city has a student population of 60000 and high levels of literacy, giving investors access to a skilled workforce and continuous learning.

Your investment is safe with us, we are governed by investment protection legislation, The Protection of Investment Act 22 of 2015 which specifically gives foreign investors similar rights and protections available to South Africans.

We have great investment incentives such as the duty drawback schemes that provide refunds for import duties paid on the materials used in the production of goods that are re-exported.

There are no restrictions for foreign investors to acquire property in the country.

There are no restrictions on foreign investors to acquire companies or businesses in South Africa.

Tshwane has a well-developed infrastructure and road network and is centrally situated on the national road network with direct links to Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia along the east-west N4 route, and with Zimbabwe along the south-north N1 route.

Eligible start-ups must be based in Africa or building Africa-centric solutions.

GOOGLE OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR AI ACCELERATOR AFRICA

/ Read original article here /

G oogle Africa has opened applications for the eighth edition of its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme.

According to the internet giant, this year’s cohort will have a strong focus on start-ups leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to address critical challenges and unlock new opportunities across the continent.

The Google for Start-ups Accelerator Africa is a three-month, equity-free virtual programme that provides African start-ups with mentorship, technical resources and access to a global network of experts and investors.

Since inception in 2018, the initiative has supported 106 start-ups from 17 African countries, which have collectively raised over $263 million and created more than 2 800 direct jobs, according to Google.

“We're excited to support the next generation of African AI pioneers through the Google for Start-ups Accelerator, providing them with the resources and mentorship they need to build successful, impactful businesses,” says Folarin Aiyegbusi, head of Start-ups Ecosystem, Africa at Google.

“Africa's tech ecosystem is a hotbed of innovation, and AI has the potential to be a transformative force across various sectors.”

In Africa, digital transformation is accelerating rapidly and start-ups play a vital role in shaping the continent’s future, notes Google.

As the lifeblood of innovation, start-ups are driving economic growth, creating jobs and solving some of society's most pressing challenges, it says.

The programme will run from June to September, and will include:

 Equity-free support: Up to $350 000 in Google Cloud credits.

 Mentorship: Personalised guidance from Google AI experts, seasoned entrepreneurs and industry leaders.

 Technical workshops: In-depth training on AI/ML development, product strategy and scaling.

 Global network: Connections to potential investors, partners  and customers.

 Community: A supportive network of fellow founders facing similar challenges and opportunities.

Eligible start-ups must be based in Africa or building Africa-centric solutions and should be utilising AI/ML in a transformative way.

Applications will close on 20 May and must be submitted via the accelerator website.

& SHAPE YOUR FUTURE WITH MANCOSA

INTRODUCING

MANCOSA’s School of Information and Digital Technology proudly introduces South Africa’s first Postgraduate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our innovative curriculum blends cutting-edge technology with human-centered learning, cultivating thought leaders and innovators. Gain hands-on AI experience, acquire sought-after skills, and future-proof your career! Embrace the Al revolution with MANCOSA, enrol today, and ensure your tomorrow is bright and competitive.

HUMANS AND AI – EXPLOR ING THE CYCLE OF COMPLEME NTARY COEXISTENCE

/ By Henda Scott, Senior UX writer at Helm /

Naturally, it raises so me serious questions and concerns around the application of this kind of technology and its potential to ‘replace’ humans, or ‘steal our jobs’ However, it’s important to note that the impact won’t always be negative. In fact, it’s estimated that around half of the jobs impacted will actually benefit from the introduction and implementation of AI.

Time has already shown that even GenAI has its pitfalls and isn’t going to make us all redundant just yet. Being pro-AI doesn’t mean you’re anti-human. And being prohuman shouldn’t mean you’re anti-AI either. Without us, AI wouldn’t exist. And without AI, many of our processes would take a whole lot longer.

Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the one supersedes the other. At Helm, our goal has always been to use technology to assist – and not replace –people, which is why we believe in developing human-first, AI-powered solutions and experiences.

For most of us currently working in AI, the goal is to make it more human-like, and one of the best ways to emulate our behaviour is to engage real people. Human input – in the form of intention, innovation, implementation and intervention – is crucial in order to allow the technology to evolve. So, who are the real people who engage with AI, and how does their involvement shape its evolution?

First up, we have those who request AI –typically our clients. These are the humans who know just enough about the tech to know they want it, but not enough to know if they actually need it. When an AI solution is requested by a potential client, our approach is always to first determine their business challenges in order to establish whether AI can really solve the problem.An In-depth understanding and ethical reasoning are crucial and must precede any implementation – and AI models don’t come cheap, at least not at the moment. Using AI to solve a problem that could’ve been fixed through a number of alternative, simpler solutions can result in a waste of expenditure, as well as precious and limited resources.

One such resource is our team of engineers and designers, who work together to develop AI solutions for our clients and their customers – that is, after we’ve established that AI is the answer. Once we’ve done that, figuring out exactly which solution will be best for the problem at hand is often a collaborative effort, with the end goal being the creation of an interface where the endusers can engage with it.

The impact of AI on jobs has been a hot topic at this year’s annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva revealing that almost 40% of jobs around the world will be impacted by the advancement of AI. Even though its effect on emerging markets is predicted to be slightly lower than in advanced economies, South Africa is bound to see some shifts in the employment sector as a result of AI adoption. ...continues on page 31

There are so many points at which various humans engage with AI, and it’s thanks to their input that AI is able to learn and evolve. As the developers and designers of human

 Microsoft South Africa is investing R1.3 billion ($70 million) in the South African economy as part of a 10-year agreement with the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC).

 According to the software company, the investment will go towards developing small, micro, and mediumsized enterprises (SMMEs), creating local jobs and preparing the country for AI transformation.

 The investment is expected to boost the country's AI, projected to reach US$0.90 billion in 2024 and grow at a 28.22% annual rate (CAGR 2024-2030), resulting in a market volume of US$4.00 billion by 2030.

According to the DTIC, the investment will go towards an enterprise development initiative worth R663 million ($34.6 million), focusing on technology start-ups owned and operated by black South African entrepreneurs and the development of new solutions in disruptive technologies.

A R347 million ($18.9 million) skills development initiative will provide intensive training to young black South Africans through certification courses and leadership, while an R&D initiative of R160 million ($8.7 million) will fund research programmes.

South Africa has recently increased its efforts to adopt artificial intelligence to drive economic growth, improve efficiency, and address societal challenges.

Source:.microsoft.com/africa

MICROSOFT INVESTS $70 MILLION IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR JOB CREATION AND AI ADVANCEMENT

/ Read original article here /

In April 2024, the country unveiled a draft of its national AI plan. This comes after it established the AI Institute of South Africa (AIISA) and the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) several years ago.

Kalane Rampai, Microsoft SA MD, acknowledged the importance of AI, noting that technology is changing how people work, necessitating the need for people to have the necessary skills to remain relevant.

“We believe there is a massive opportunity for those willing to skill up on AI. At the same time, organisations that empower employees with AI tools and training will attract the best talent,” he added.

Regarding Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs), Rampai stated that the investment will provide a platform for

the sector's growth through technology, digital transformation, and market opportunities.

SMMEs are considered the backbone of South Africa’s economy, contributing nearly 40% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and employing around half of the workforce.

Despite the sector's importance, reports indicate that businesses face funding gaps. The majority of business owners and entrepreneurs rely on personal savings or loans.

South Africa launched the Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit (DAIRU) on May 3, 2024, as a military-focused AI hub at the Military Academy in Saldanha, Western Cape, to harness AI's potential in the country's defence sector, as well as national development and security.

Entrepreneurs work on their projects at Nailab, a Kenyan firm that supports technology startups, in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 4, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

USING AI TO DECOLONIZE HEALTH CARE IN AFRICA

How artificial intelligence can help empower communities to create their own solutions

/ Read original article here /

I nequities inherent to artificial intelligence (AI) could influence global health as the technology embeds deeper into industries writ large. An AI model for generating images, for example, struggled to create images of Black African doctors caring for sick white children. It struggled because these algorithms are trained using datasets that include social biases, including racial biases that were birthed by colonialism and remain prevalent in the field of global health.

Calls to "decolonize global health" have emphasized the unequal power dynamics between those most affected by the problems and those who dictate research priorities, set research standards, write papers, own data, and lead the field. More than 70% of global health leaders are nationals from high-income countries. Major global health funders such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Wellcome Trust award grants primarily to researchers and institutions in their own countries or other high-income countries. These global health inequities can be addressed through approaches that shift power and ownership to those most affected.

Students enrolled in a special STEM program for children at the Knosk Secondary School attend a computer class, in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 18, 2022. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

In Africa, a movement is rising to accomplish this feat using AI. Grassroot organizing has led to the creation of programs and communities focused on using AI to address problems in Africa. These solutions will succeed if led by Africans themselves, the true experts of their communities and problems.

Data Science Africa (DSA), a grassroot organization started by Africans for Africans, is doing just that. Launched in 2015 to develop capacity and local solutions to African problems using data science methods like machine learning and AI, DSA partners each year with researchers at a local university in a city in Africa to host a five-day event—a three-day summer school and a two-day workshop.

“ Global health inequities can be addressed through approaches that shift power and ownership to those most affected ”

This event creates a space in which participants can share data science solutions while building relationships and a sense of community. DSA receives funding from companies and philanthropic programs such as Arm, DeepMind, Lacuna Fund, and AI4D Africa for its annual meeting and to provide research grants and fellowships to data science researchers in Africa. DSA also

collaborates with similar initiatives such as Deep Learning Indaba, the annual meeting of the African machine learning and AI community.

DSA emphasizes many principles that the global health field could emulate, including community, collaboration, and the valuing of the expertise of Africans. AI and other data science solutions created by researchers in the DSA community for health-related issues have largely involved input and participation of members from the local community in an end-to-end data science process.

Here end-to-end means that the projects start and end with community involvement. For example, to improve education outcomes—a major determinant of health— researchers at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania created an end-to-end machine learning solution called BakiShule (Swahili to stay in school). BakiShule, which was deployed in secondary schools in the city of Arusha, aims to keep students in classrooms by using data collected on common causes of dropout. These trends inform teachers and parents when a student is at risk of quitting school. In addition to machine-learning specialists, individuals who are expected to use the tool—teachers, education officers, and parents—provided input on the tool's design and useability.

In another example, researchers at Makerere University in Uganda developed an end-to-end air quality management system called AirQo to address the problem of air pollution, a major environmental risk factor

for health. The system, which launched in 2015, was first implemented in Kampala in 2018. Since 2022 it has also been implemented in eight African cities outside Uganda. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution was associated with 4.2 million premature deaths globally and 383,419 deaths across Africa in 2019.

To develop the air quality monitoring system, the researchers did not focus only on the technical aspects of data collection and data science methods, but also on a range of community activities. The AirQo team developed public-friendly platforms, including web and mobile applications, to share data with the public and policymakers. They also conducted community engagement sessions at schools and halls in the local languages to address specific causes of air pollution, such as motor vehicles.

One example involved the installation of air pollution monitors on motorcycle taxis (boda-bodas), so they could collect air quality data across a broader area of the city. The project also engaged with mechanics as ambassadors for improved air quality. The air quality monitors were designed to function well in typical African weather conditions. Through community engagement and input, these end-to-end systems address problems specific to the local community.

To be sure, AI will not resolve the problem of the unjust distribution of resources and power that are at the root of health inequalities in African countries. AI is only one set of tools, but if trained by

the right experts with the right resources, it can provide solutions to problems that shape health. Engaging with communities to identify and find solutions to local problems increases the odds of communities supporting created solutions. Rather than recruiting communities to support set agendas and programs, this approach empowers communities to create their own solutions.

“ AI is only one set of tools, but if trained by the right experts with the right resources, it can provide solutions to problems that shape health ”

It is important, to my mind, to sustain efforts by organizations such as DSA for at least three reasons. First, DSA participants come from all over Africa to learn and return to their countries to create new communities and resolve local problems. Second, such organizations have developed social capital and community trust, which means that they can easily expand their impact. DSA's approach of partnering with local institutions to cohost its annual meetings also shows support and respect for the programs already in place in these cities rather than destabilizing or undermining them. Third, decolonizing global health requires that

those who wield power, such as funders, ensure long-term investments in human capacity building.

Funders should invest in computational infrastructure housed in institutions in African countries. Otherwise, AI researchers and developers in these countries will always depend on corporations in other regions, such as North America and Europe.

The number of people who applied to attend the 2024 DSA annual meeting is one of the largest in its nine-year history. As more African youths gravitate toward AI solutions, now is the time to work with organizations that focus on advancing equitable solutions and shifting power to those most affected by health inequities. AI can be used to maintain the imbalance of power and voice that exist in global health, a characteristic of how the system has always existed, or to advance global health equity.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

This article is part of a series exploring the ways artificial intelligence is used to improve health outcomes across the globe. The rest of the series can be found here

...continued from page 27

AI experiences, we have the power to direct the flow of information and guide the user to meet AI at the most opportune point, where the right information has been captured and processed to procure the right outcome. While the developers of the technology focus on optimising functionality and performance to simulate human reasoning, those who design the experience do it in a way that attempts to emulate a true human interaction (whilst always remaining transparent about the fact that the user is, in fact, not engaging with a real person).

But this isn’t where our involvement or responsibility stops. For us, as Africa’s CX innovation experts, the humans who use AI are arguably the most important. As the custodians of the point where they inevitably meet AI, we are responsible for managing all aspects of their experience, from initiation to completion. Not only do we want to create AI solutions that help them, we have to make sure our solutions do not cause any harm (albeit unintended) to them, their livelihoods or their environments.

While many aspects of AI are already governed by existing cyber security, data protection and privacy laws, we recognise that AI technology is developing much faster than legislation can be passed. In addition, we believe the evaluation and regulation of our AI solutions should extend beyond what is lawful to encompass what is ethical as well. This is why it’s important for us to ensure that those who monitor and regulate AI are involved in every step of the development process – from inception to implementation and in every iteration that follows. Having these humans involved from the get-go means we are able to identify potential pain points an implement preemptive steps to mitigate these, or even completely reimagine a solution altogether if it poses a potential risk.

By making the artificial feel real, we can showcase the power of AI and its potential application to solve real-world problems.

By removing some of its perceived threats, we can change negative perceptions around the tech and encourage more humans to engage with it. AI is showing no signs of slowing down and as AI adoption in Africa continues to soar, so will the need for real accountability. And while we believe in ceding as many tedious tasks as possible to machines, making sure AI is used lawfully, ethically and responsibly will always remain our human responsibility.

For more information on Helm and the services it offers, please visit www.helm.africa

Joel Ssematimba, a hardware developer at AirQo, works on air quality monitoring devices inside a workshop, at the Makerere University, in Kampala, Uganda, on May 27, 2022. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa

HOW AI IS IMPACTING POLICY PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES IN AFRICA

/ Read original article here /

 African consumers, educational institutions, governments, and companies are rapidly adopting AI tools, increasing the urgency for African governments to develop AI governance measures while addressing formal economic concerns effective education, healthcare, infrastructure, and skilled technical workforces.

 Currently, the Malabo Convention, a legal framework for data protection ratified by the African Union in 2023, serves as the benchmark for AI policy in Africa, and the African Union Development Agency has developed a draft policy to provide a framework for individual countries’ AI regulatory regimes.

 African governments should integrate AI-related policy interventions with broader initiatives focused on privacy, security, data access, and other related issues while prioritizing collaboration with other governments, regional organizations, academic institutions, and industry players.

A photo taken on May 24, 2013, shows the headquarters building of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Reuters / Kyodo)

While it has been in existence for almost 70 years, artificial intelligence (AI) has re-emerged over the past decade, powered by advances in deep learning and computing architecture to complete tasks such as object recognition, predictive modeling, text, image, and video generation, and decision-making. The emergence of popular commercial tools, such as ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI in late 2022, has led to the rising interest of companies, startups, and institutions in adopting and developing AI. However, given the negative impacts of AI in fields such as healthcare, education, and policing, countries have also been rapidly increasing their respective capabilities to effectively govern AI. In 2017, Canada released the world’s first national AI strategy, and since then, tens of countries have followed, including the United Kingdom, Egypt, Mauritius, Singapore, and Brazil.

With the European Union being the only regional body having enacted formal AI regulation, there is much room for countries around the world to begin implementing formal governance mechanisms to ensure that AI is developed and implemented in responsible ways. However, given the concentration of AI development in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, concerns that Africa may fall behind in regulating AI abound, given existing challenges in data protections across the continent. Data governance has formed the foundation for many national AI policies, and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can arguably be seen as a mechanism that aided the successful development and enactment of the EU AI Act. Given that 36 of 54 African countries have enacted formal data protection regulations and the African Union (AU) recently ratified the Malabo Convention, a legal framework for data protection and cybersecurity, in June 2023, such regulation could help bolster effective AI regulation throughout the continent, as framed in a piece published by the Brookings Institution However, African governments have notable challenges, primarily surrounding addressing formal development concerns like effective education, healthcare, infrastructure, and skilled technical workforces. However, these issues will have to be addressed in tandem with enacting formal AI regulation to preempt harms to citizens and hold companies accountable for deleterious AI systems. Additionally, the concerning adoption of digital surveillance technologies by African governments and the increasing outsourcing of data annotation and content moderation labor to countries in East Africa have shifted priorities for AI and data governance within Africa. In light of these considerations, establishing

robust AI governance measures across the African continent is necessary to implement effective safeguards.

AI Adoption, Research, And Development In Africa

African consumers, educational institutions, governments, and companies are rapidly adopting AI to aid in content creation, improve the delivery of public services, and streamline business processes. While there is little information available about consumer adoption of AI tools across the continent, it has rapidly increased due to the introduction of ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney, and other commercial AI tools. Research from the 2024 Stanford AI Index shows that 27% of Kenyans use ChatGPT daily, coming third behind India and Pakistan. Google search trends also reveal rising consumer interest in AI across Africa, with searches related to AI rising 270% over the last year and 400% over the last five years in countries such as Kenya. African educational institutions, such as the University of Pretoria in South Africa, Makerere University in Uganda, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, have developed prominent AI labs and published research focused on leveraging AI for social impact. The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), launched in 2003 and with educational centers in Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Rwanda, has established a number of Master’s and PhD programs in AI, machine learning, math, and data science, which have graduated over 3000 students. Additionally, large tech companies have developed AI research labs in Africa, with Microsoft establishing in 2020 the Microsoft Africa Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, and in 2018, Google launching an AI research lab in Accra, Ghana, and in 2013, IBM Research launching labs in Nairobi, Kenya and in Johannesburg in 2016.

“

Research from the 2024 Stanford AI Index shows that 27% of Kenyans use ChatGPT daily, coming third behind India and Pakistan. ”

Over the past few years, the AI ecosystem within Africa has rapidly expanded with a growing number of startups focusing on developing AI applications for a variety of use cases. These startups are spread across the continent, with Intron Health in Nigeria developing natural language processing tools to understand African accents in clinical settings, minoHealth AI Labs in Ghana developing AI systems to diagnose 14 chest conditions, iCog Labs in Ethiopia

developing general-purpose AI solutions, including an Amharic-speaking robot, and Lelapa AI in South Africa working on building natural language model solutions for African languages. Many efforts in bolstering the AI ecosystem within Africa started with the establishment of local, grassroots communities such as Deep Learning Indaba, AI Saturdays Lagos, Data Science Africa, Ghana NLP, and Masakhane, whose founders spun off Lelapa AI from the organization’s significant efforts. These groups have been essential in training the next generation of AI researchers in Africa, providing community, hosting conferences and workshops, and publishing research in premier machine learning and AI venues.

How AI Is Impacting Policy Processes And Outcomes In Africa

Policy conversations on AI are gaining traction across Africa. These conversations can be understood in two parts: the basis for national AI strategy or regulations and the policy or governance changes linked to AI. Regarding AI regulations, some arguments favor implementing appropriate regulations continent-wide, while others advocate for enhancing AI literacy to ensure its effective utilization. Yet, African countries can simultaneously adopt these perspectives in AI-oriented policy initiatives.

Beyond the Malabo Convention, which serves as the benchmark for AI policy in Africa, the African Union Development Agency produced a draft policy that addresses AI legislation for African nations. African leaders are expected to endorse the continental AI strategy by February 2025. Countries lacking AI policies would utilize this framework to formulate their strategy, while those with existing policies may be required to align them with the AU’s guidelines. So far, only seven African countries (Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia) have developed national AI programs with varying levels of implementation. Rwanda, for example, has AI-specific investment programs such as Rwanda’s Seed Investment Fund, which was established to foster an environment where the government can co-invest with angel and venture capital investors in AI startups. Egypt’s AI Strategy aims to enhance funding for AI startups, establish AI startup incubators, and incentivize enterprises to buy AI products locally rather than import them.

Amid this backdrop, some African countries already use AI to address development concerns without a clear strategy, potentially determining their stance on AI policy development. AI influences policy and governance outcomes in some African countries through various adopted

...continues on page 35

G42 AND KENYA’S ECOCLOUD UN VEIL GREEN-POWERED MEGA DATA CEN TER COLLABORATION

Kenya’s EcoCloud and UAE’s G42 to develop world-class 1 Gigawatt data center powered by geothermal energ y.

In an unprecedented move that positions Kenya at the forefront of the global digital economy, His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto has proudly witnessed the MoU signing between EcoCloud and G42, a pioneering project destined to revolutionize the digital landscape not just in East Africa, but across the globe. Powered by

/ Read original article here /

the untapped potential of Kenya's 10 gigawatts of geothermal energy, the mega data center is the first of its kind in scale and ambition, heralding a new era of green energy-driven digital infrastructure.

Strategically located in Kenya's geothermalrich region, the EcoCloud-G42 Mega Data Center is planned to have initial capacity of 100 MW, but with the potential to build up to 1 Gigawatt, setting a new standard for sustainable data centers. This initiative is not just an investment in technology but a bold statement of Kenya's commitment to harnessing renewable energy for technological advancement. By leveraging the earth's heat, the project dramatically cuts fossil fuel dependence,

slashes carbon emissions, and stands as a beacon of environmental stewardship. The collaboration between EcoCloud, a trailblazer in data center development, and G42, the leading UAE-based technology conglomerate, marks a significant leap in Kenya's journey toward becoming a digital hub. This strategic partnership underlines a shared vision for fostering a robust digital infrastructure that not only accelerates the country's digital transformation but also fortifies its position as a leader in technology-driven development.

This strategic agreement was signed by Eng. Amos Siwoi, CEO of EcoCloud and Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, leading the UAE delegation, in the presence of His Excellency President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya and

Dr. Salim Ibrahim Binahmed Mohammed Alnaqbi, the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Kenya.

This partnership is not just about erecting a digital infrastructure; it's a foundation for a comprehensive ecosystem that includes cloud services and artificial intelligence, catering to the vibrant and youthful population of Kenya. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between these giants extends beyond infrastructure, aiming to usher in an era of cloud computing and AI services. This initiative promises to unlock unprecedented economic opportunities, stimulate innovation, and drive the digital economy forward, making Kenya the center of technological innovation in Africa and a competitive player on the global stage.

Eng. Amos Siwoi, CEO of EcoCloud said: “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our commitment to sustainability and innovation. By harnessing the power of geothermal energy, we are not only meeting the region's data needs but also setting a new standard for eco-friendly infrastructure. This partnership underscores our dedication to a greener, more sustainable future for Africa and beyond."

Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42 said: "In establishing this strategic partnership with EcoCloud, G42 is proud to be at the forefront of combining groundbreaking technology with sustainability. This geothermal-powered data center is a milestone towards realizing Kenya's potential as a global digital hub and fulfilling our mission of making intelligence accessible to everyone, everywhere.”

The launch of this mega data center is a clear call for innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. It invites the world to witness Kenya's transformation into a digital hub, powered by green energy and driven by the unwavering vision of its leaders.

...continued from page 33

initiatives to bolster social and economic growth. For example, Morocco is harnessing the potential of AI, having recognized its benefits in building small businesses, startups, and service outsourcing. To this end, the government has established specific research and development centres in various towns, including Oujda, Rabat, Fes, and Benguerir. AI has been used in Togo to target poor cantons for social funds and in Zambia to combat misinformation during elections. Notably, some of these activities are stimulated by the assistance of international partners.

Potential Drawbacks Of AI Usage And Policy In Africa

“

Strategically located in Kenya's geothermal-rich region, the EcoCloud-G42 Mega Data Center is planned to have initial capacity of 100 MW, but with the potential to build up to 1 Gigawatt, setting a new standard for sustainable data centers. This initiative is not just an investment in technology but a bold statement of Kenya's commitment to harnessing renewable energy for technological advancement. By leveraging the earth's heat, the project dramatically cuts fossil fuel dependence, slashes carbon emissions, and stands as a beacon of environmental stewardship. ”

AI has great potential for good within Africa, but it also carries tremendous risks. Sadly, AI risks may disproportionately impact those least equipped to mitigate them, particularly in Africa. Studies have shown that AI can perpetuate biases, exacerbate injustices, and violate human rights. AI has negative implications for transnational organized crime, as criminals leverage this technology to attack personal datasets and applications and impersonate to extort or defraud. In South Africa, impersonation fraud increased by 356% between April 2022 and April 2023. AI has the potential to influence public opinion by spreading misinformation or disinformation, which is a soft power. For example, a leaked audio that turned out to be a deepfake was widely distributed over WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media sites during Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. The fake audio purported to depict a secret conversation between leaders of the biggest opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), planning to compromise elections. The rise of sophisticated deep fake technologies and massive language models raises socio-technical problems about democratic elections.

As African countries work to build adequate AI policies, proactive steps to mitigate AI concerns remain in their early phases. Nonetheless, many African countries would likely prioritize keeping up with AI breakthroughs and maximizing its potential use. This may mask possible threats and delay solutions to future difficulties.

Recommendations

There are several ways in which African countries can design and adopt their own governance approaches when addressing the current and future roles of AI, including:

 Although African countries do not need to wait to implement AI

strategies to capitalize on their potential, they should prioritize the development of comprehensive national AI strategies that include regulations and investment opportunities. These countries should acknowledge country-specific peculiarities while aligning with existing continental and global policies.

 AI-related policy activities and interventions should be integrated into more significant initiatives focused on privacy, security, data access, intellectual property protection, human rights, and cross-border data interchange. A concerted effort by diverse stakeholders is necessary to connect these policy nodes and weave them into a coherent action plan for policymakers.

 African governments should prioritise partnership and knowledge-sharing opportunities to boost the continent’s AI initiatives. This involves working with other governments, regional organisations, academic institutions, and industry players to share AI governance best practices, resources, and expertise.

 African governments and partners should begin to identify, amplify, and mitigate the potential risks of AI. This can occur through prioritizing ethical AI education and increasing awareness of AI harms. This includes integrating AI ethics and responsible AI principles into educational curricula and raising public awareness about the implications of AI technologies. Given the evolving nature of AI, governments and partners should commit to continuous research to track emerging threats and provide early warning support.

These recommendations are initial starts into what promises to be a robust and evolving debate.

Conclusion

The evolution of AI poses opportunities and difficulties for Africa. The youthful and enthusiastic African population is a valuable opportunity to harness the full potential of AI in driving socioeconomic development. As African countries manage the intricacies of AI policies, regional and international collaboration will be critical to establishing a long-term and equitable AI ecosystem. Africa can capitalize on AI’s transformative potential while mitigating adverse outcomes by addressing concerns such as data governance and ethical considerations. In this shifting climate, proactive engagement with stakeholders such as governments, industry, academia, and civil society will be important in crafting a future in which artificial intelligence contributes positively to Africa’s development aspirations.

AI BECOMES LATEST FRONTIER IN CHINA-US RACE FOR AFRICA

/ Read original article here /

JOHANNESBURG — What's the future of artificial intelligence in Africa?

When that question is entered into the AI platform ChatGPT, it answers that it "holds immense potential for transformative impact across various sectors," notably health care, agriculture and education.

Human experts tend to agree, and AI is fast becoming the latest frontier in U.S.-China competition on the continent.

"To advance in AI research and innovation, African countries will need significant investments in computing infrastructure," said Chinasa T. Okolo, a Center for Technology Innovation fellow at The Brookings Institution. "The U.S. and China could potentially be good partners to help with such initiatives."

In the coming years, researchers predict AI companies will run out of data in English and Western languages but that is not the case in Africa where much more data is still needed, Okolo said.

"Thus, by investing in Africa, companies from AI superpowers like the U.S. and China stand to gain valuable data that they could use to build services and systems to be sold back to African countries," she said.

South Africa's AI drive

One country on the continent that is rapidly pursuing AI is South Africa.

At a government summit on AI in April, Mondli Gungubele, the minister of communications and digital technologies, said, "The era of generative AI is just beginning, and as a country and a continent we cannot and must not allow ourselves to be left behind."

South Africa has already established the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa, or AIISA, and it is rolling out "hubs" at universities across the country. It was created to ensure that the country's industries and sectors benefit from AI, said Hitekani Magwedze, spokesman for the ministry of communications and digital technologies.

"Through the AIISA, we have now created AI hubs in manufacturing and services, farming and agriculture, automotive and transportation, and military and defense," with more sectors planned, Magwedze told VOA.

"South Africa has global partnerships with major countries such as U.S. and China in the G20 and BRICS," he said.

"These leading countries see South Africa as a gateway into Africa and the developing countries agenda."

Magewedze said AI can help with unemployment, inequality and poverty in the country.

In May, Tshwane University of Technology will launch a new AI Career Tech Center in collaboration with U.S. tech giant, Intel.

"The AI hubs across the country are partnering with strong partners from the international community to achieve the objectives of the AI institutes," said Anish Kurien, Acting Director of the university's AIISA hub.

Earlier this month, South Africa's Department of Defense launched a Defense Artificial Intelligence Research Unit at the country's military academy.

"There is a need for African solutions to African challenges, and AI is an enabling technology of the [Fourth Industrial Revolution] which will play a role in solving many of the social issues facing our beloved continent," Wayne Dalton, the deputy director of the new research unit, told VOA.

When asked about U.S.-China involvement, Dalton said, "South Africa's AI strategy and goals are in their infancy" but "there will be plenty of opportunities for the U.S. and China to help us achieve these goals."

The increased focus on AI in South Africa comes at a time when public opinion has increased for China and slightly decreased for the U.S., according to a new Gallup report released in April.

Trends in public opinion may not necessarily apply to collaboration on the AI front, and African nations will partner with parties that can offer the most value, said Okolo.

"While the U.S. government has provided substantial aid to African countries, China took a different approach by leading with infrastructure investments, which will increasingly become important as African countries aim to bolster their telecommunications and data infrastructure," she said.

China and US interest

The U.S. has already invested in AI in Africa. Silicon Valley giant Google opened its first AI lab in Ghana, while IBM has research facilities in Kenya and South Africa.

At an American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit in Nairobi last month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced a partnership to enable U.S. companies to invest in AI and data centers in Kenya.

Lisa Walker, managing director for Africa operations at Prosper Africa, a U.S. government trade initiative, told VOA the organization is advancing partnerships under U.S. President Joe Biden's Digital Transformation with Africa strategy.

"Prosper Africa launched the Africa Tech for Trade Alliance in April of last year. Today, there are 24 private sector partners under this Alliance including industry leaders like Google, AWS, Intel, Cisco Systems, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, UPS, DHL, FedEx and others," she said.

China also has taken an interest in AI in Africa. For over a decade, China has been investing in the continent's internet infrastructure and connectivity through President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative.

In April, a China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum was held in the China's southeastern coastal city of Xiamen and attended by representatives from some 20 African countries.

"Africa is an important participant in scientific and technological progress. The development and application of AI is of great significance to the developing countries, including China and African countries," Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA.

As for U.S.-China competition in AI, Liu said, "China is willing to carry out

communication, exchanges and practical cooperation with all parties, including Africa and the United States, on AI global governance to ensure that AI always develops in the direction of human civilization and progress."

During their meeting in San Francisco last year and a recent phone call, Liu said, Chinese and U.S. leaders agreed to promote cooperation in the field of AI. Liu added that the two sides will soon hold the first intergovernmental dialogue on AI.

Prosper Africa's Walker had a different take when asked about U.S.-China competition, saying U.S. companies had "incomparable brand value."

"It's the focus on mutual growth, local job creation and shared prosperity that continues to set American tech companies apart from international competitors," she said.

However, Brookings Institution fellow Okolo is more pessimistic about U.S.China involvement in Africa.

"While I've seen rising interest in Africa from the U.S. and China, I believe it's honestly hard to say how well these countries are interested in specifically working with African countries to advance AI innovation," said Okolo. "While American and Chinese researchers often collaborate with each other in academic AI research, these countries themselves are vying to be leaders within the 'AI race.'"

According to the recently released AI Index Report from Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, the U.S. was the leading source of top computer programs known as AI models last year, with 61 compared to China's 15. However, it found that China led globally in terms of AI patents with 61.1%, while the U.S. accounted for only 20%.

“ While I've seen rising interest in Africa from the U.S. and China, I believe it's honestly hard to say how well these countries are interested in specifically working with African countries to advance AI innovation," said Okolo.

"While American and Chinese researchers often collaborate with each other in academic AI research, these countries themselves are vying to be leaders within the 'AI race.”

AFRICA’S PUSH TO REGULATE AI STARTS NOW

/ Read original article here /

AI is expanding across the continent and new policies are taking shape. But poor digital infrastructure and regulatory bottlenecks could slow adoption.

In the Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania, rural farmers are using an AI-assisted app called Nuru that works in their native language of Swahili to detect a devastating cassava disease before it spreads. In South Africa, computer scientists have built machine learning models to analyze the impact of racial segregation in housing. And in Nairobi, Kenya, AI classifies images from thousands of surveillance cameras perched on lampposts in the bustling city’s center.

The projected benefit of AI adoption on Africa’s economy is tantalizing. Estimates suggest that four African countries alone— Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa— could rake in up to $136 billion worth of economic benefits by 2030 if businesses there begin using more AI tools.

Now, the African Union—made up of 55 member nations—is preparing an ambitious AI policy that envisions an Africa-centric path for the development and regulation of this emerging technology. But debates on when AI regulation is warranted

“ We’re seeing a growth of AI in the continent; it’s really important there be set rules in place to govern these technologies,” says Chinasa T. Okolo, a fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings, whose research focuses on AI governance and policy development in Africa. ”

and concerns about stifling innovation could pose a roadblock, while a lack of AI infrastructure could hold back the technology’s adoption.

...continues on page 41

Partner with Africa's leading data science platform to access the power of 72 000+ data scientists for your business.

Partner with Africa's leading data science platform to access the power of 72 000+ data scientists for your business.

Through our partnership program, organisations can tap into this pool of talent, access machine learning and AI solutions, and stay at the forefront of innovation.

Through our partnership program, organisations can tap into this pool of talent, access machine learning and AI solutions, and stay at the forefront of innovation.

Our quick turnaround means you keep improving with the smartest minds in data science on your team.

Our quick turnaround means you keep improving with the smartest minds in data science on your team.

GET IN TOUCH

GET IN TOUCH

w ww.zindi.africa

w ww.zindi.africa

tam@zindi.africa

tam@zindi.africa

+44 7 522 120077

+44 7 522 120077

...continued from page 39

“ If African countries don't develop their own regulatory frameworks that protect citizens from the technology’s misuse, some experts worry that Africans will face social harms, including bias that could exacerbate inequalities. And if these countries don't also find a way to harness AI's benefits, others fear these economies could be left behind. ”

“We’re seeing a growth of AI in the continent; it’s really important there be set rules in place to govern these technologies,” says Chinasa T. Okolo, a fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings, whose research focuses on AI governance and policy development in Africa.

Some African countries have already begun to formulate their own legal and policy frameworks for AI. Seven have developed national AI policies and strategies, which are currently at different stages of implementation.

On February 29, the African Union Development Agency published a policy draft that lays out a blueprint of AI regulations for African nations. The draft includes recommendations for industryspecific codes and practices, standards and certification bodies to assess and benchmark AI systems, regulatory sandboxes for safe testing of AI, and the establishment of national AI councils to oversee and monitor responsible deployment of AI.

The heads of African governments are expected to eventually endorse the continental AI strategy, but not until February 2025, when they meet next at the AU’s annual summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Countries with no existing AI policies or regulations would then use this framework to develop their own national strategies, while those that already have will be encouraged to review and align their policies with the AU’s.

Elsewhere, major AI laws and policies are also taking shape. This week, the European Union passed the AI Act, set to become the world’s first comprehensive AI law. In October, the United States issued an executive order on AI. And the Chinese government is eyeing a sweeping AI law similar to the EU’s, while also setting rules that target specific AI products as they’re developed.

If African countries don't develop their own regulatory frameworks that protect citizens from the technology’s misuse, some

experts worry that Africans will face social harms, including bias that could exacerbate inequalities. And if these countries don't also find a way to harness AI's benefits, others fear these economies could be left behind.

“We want to be standard makers” Some African researchers think it’s too early to be thinking about AI regulation. The industry is still nascent there due to the high cost of building data infrastructure, limited internet access, a lack of funding, and a dearth of powerful computers needed to train AI models. A lack of access to quality training data is also a problem. African data is largely concentrated in the hands of companies outside of Africa.

In February, just before the AU’s AI policy draft came out, Shikoh Gitau, a computer scientist who started the Nairobi-based AI research lab Qubit Hub, published a paper arguing that Africa should prioritize the development of an AI industry before trying to regulate the technology.

“If we start by regulating, we're not going to figure out the innovations and opportunities that exist for Africa,” says David Lemayian, a software engineer and one of the paper’s co-authors.

Okolo, who consulted on the AU-AI draft policy, disagrees. Africa should be proactive in developing regulations, Okolo says. She suggests African countries reform existing laws such as policies on data privacy and digital governance to address AI.

But Gitau is concerned that a hasty approach to regulating AI could hinder adoption of the technology. And she says it’s critical to build homegrown AI with applications tailored for Africans to harness the power of AI to improve economic growth.

“Before we put regulations [in place], we need to do the hard work of understanding the full spectrum of the technology and invest in building the African AI ecosystem,” she says.

More than 50 countries and the EU have AI strategies in place, and more than 700 AI policy initiatives have been implemented since 2017, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s AI Policy Observatory. But only five of those initiatives are from Africa and none of the OECD’s 38 member countries are African.

Africa’s voices and perspectives have largely been absent from global discussions on AI governance and regulation, says Melody Musoni, a policy and digital governance expert at ECDPM, an independent-policy think tank in Brussels.

“We must contribute our perspectives and own our regulatory frameworks,” says Musoni. “We want to be standard makers, not standard takers.”

Nyalleng Moorosi, a specialist in ethics and fairness in machine learning who is based in Hlotse, Lesotho and works at the Distributed AI Research Institute, says

that some African countries are already seeing labor exploitation by AI companies. This includes poor wages and lack of psychological support for data labelers, who are largely from low-income countries but working for big tech companies. She argues regulation is needed to prevent that, and to protect communities against misuse by both large corporations and authoritarian governments.

In Libya, autonomous lethal weapons systems have already been used in fighting, and in Zimbabwe, a controversial, militarydriven national facial-recognition scheme has raised concerns over the technology’s alleged use as a surveillance tool by the government. The draft AU-AI policy didn’t explicitly address the use of AI by African governments for national security interests, but it acknowledges that there could be perilous AI risks.

Barbara Glover, program officer for an African Union group that works on policies for emerging technologies, points out that the policy draft recommends that African countries invest in digital and data infrastructure, and collaborate with the private sector to build investment funds to support AI startups and innovation hubs on the continent.

Unlike the EU, the AU lacks the power to enforce sweeping policies and laws across its member states. Even if the draft AI strategy wins endorsement of parliamentarians at the AU’s assembly next February, African nations must then implement the continental strategy through national AI policies and laws. Meanwhile, tools powered by machine learning will continue to be deployed, raising ethical questions and regulatory needs and posing a challenge for policymakers across the continent.

Moorosi says Africa must develop a model for local AI regulation and governance which balances the localized risks and rewards. “If it works with people and works for people, then it has to be regulated,” she says.

“ Unlike the EU, the AU lacks the power to enforce sweeping policies and laws across its member states. Even if the draft AI strategy wins endorsement of parliamentarians at the AU’s assembly next February, African nations must then implement the continental strategy through national AI policies and laws. ”

INTERNATIONAL: AI REGULATION AND POLICY IN AFRICA

/ Read original article here /

The rapid pace of development in artificial intelligence (AI) has seemingly only been paralleled by calls for its regulation. Since there is broad consensus regarding the possible impact of unregulated AI, governments globally have responded through policymaking to mitigate this risk. Nevertheless, the overregulation of AI may, in turn, inhibit organizations from harnessing the advantages of AI and also limit a jurisdiction's ability to compete in this growing sector. Accordingly, it is crucial that governments not only develop their AI sectors but also ensure effective regulation.

Anumber of African jurisdictions have taken steps ‎to address this unique policy challenge, with various African countries implementing AI strategies, others still in the process of consultation with stakeholders on AI policies, and some African countries yet to make any pronouncements whatsoever on their approach towards AI regulation. In this Insight article, Shahid Sulaiman, Davin Olën, and Monique Bezuidenhout, from Dentons, illustrate these three levels of AI regulation by unpacking the approaches of some key African jurisdictions, in the context of the draft AI policy of the African Union (AU), to AI regulation.

Degrees of adoption of AI regulation in African countries

The AU AI policy

The AU covers the vast majority of African states through its 55 members, having recently seen the re-joining of Morocco in 2017, following a 33-year absence. This significant membership of the AU lays the foundation for the realization of an Africa-centric ‎path for the development and regulation of emerging AI technologies on the continent. The AU ‎Development Agency published a draft policy (the AU Draft Policy) to advance this ideal on February 29, 2024, setting ‎out a blueprint for AI regulation by member states.

The AU Draft Policy incorporates ‎recommendations for industry-specific codes and practices, standards, and certification ‎bodies. These recommendations are directed at assessing and benchmarking AI systems, providing regulatory oversight for the ‎testing of AI, and establishing national AI councils. AU members without existing AI policies or regulations are encouraged by the AU Draft Policy to apply it as a framework to leapfrog the development of their national strategies. The AU Draft Policy also encourages AU members that already have AI regulations in place to ‎review and align their policies with the AU Draft Policy to ensure a degree of consistency among AU members. Nevertheless, the official endorsement of the AU Draft Policy is only expected at the 2025 AU annual summit in ‎Ethiopia.

Africa has already seen a progressive uptake of AI technology, ‎investment, and, to a lesser degree, regulation. First among the African AI policymakers was Mauritius, followed shortly thereafter by Kenya and Egypt. Some African countries, like South Africa and Nigeria, are in the process of consulting with stakeholders about introducing AI policies, while others, like Morocco, are yet to propose any guidance on AI regulation.

Mauritius

In recognizing ‎the potential of AI to address the country's financial and social issues, as well ‎as its potential to be an important contributor to

stimulate the country's economy, the Mauritian Government established the Mauritius Working Group (MWG) on AI. Following consultations coordinated by the MWG, the Mauritian AI Strategy was published in ‎‎2018.‎

Key considerations of the Mauritian AI Strategy include the potential applications and impact of AI, ‎the establishment of an ecosystem to nurture AI development, and the creation of a regulatory ‎framework for AI oversight. The Mauritian AI Strategy recognizes the ability of AI technologies to integrate into the broader Mauritian economy and support productivity, economic growth, and quality of life.‎‎ For this reason, the MWG aims to have the Mauritian AI Strategy scaled up over the medium and long term to become a new pillar for sustainable ‎growth and economic development in Mauritius.‎

Kenya

As with Mauritius, the Kenyan Government also recognized the economic possibilities of AI integration through the establishment of the Distributed Ledgers Technology and AI Task Force (Task ‎Force) in 2018. In 2019, the Task Force published a report (the Task Force Report) noting the potential of ‎AI to increase Kenya's global economic competitiveness and lay a foundation to position the country as a regional and ‎international leader in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). ‎The Task Force Report encourages increased investment in infrastructure and skills‎ and further proposes strategies to balance innovation and regulation in the Kenyan ‎private sector.

More recently, Kenya's Minister of ICT, Joe Mucheru, launched the National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032 (DMP). The DMP acknowledges the key considerations of the Task Force Report and echoes its encouragement for the uptake of research and development in the AI ‎industry. However, in moving towards implementation, the DMP also sets out the Kenyan Department of ICT's strategy to deploy AI solutions. These solutions are aimed at attending to hurdles in Kenya's AI uptake and regulation ‎as well as exporting such solutions to other countries.

This year has seen further steps towards a national AI strategy for Kenya through the

Julien Fourniol/ Baloulumix/Moment via Getty Images

collaboration of the Kenyan Government and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fϋr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This collaboration launched the 'FAIR Forward Artificial Intelligence for All Initiative' and is further supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the EU.

In addition to national development, the DMP ‎emphasizes the importance of developing international partnerships with leading actors in the AI ‎industry, including those in the emerging technologies space.

Egypt

In a similar fashion to Kenya, Egypt emphasizes ‎facilitating technology transfers and attracting foreign investments, which are discussed below.

The national Egyptian AI Strategy was developed by the Egyptian National Council for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) and supports Egypt's adoption of AI in phases. The first phase aims to ‎establish Egypt as a key role player in facilitating regional cooperation in AI. In comparison to Mauritius and Kenya, this phase of the Egyptian AI Strategy places more emphasis on the development of cooperative AI capabilities between Egyptian and foreign stakeholders, rather than its national or internal development. Harnessing AI's growth potential in Egypt only follows more substantively in subsequent phases of the Egyptian AI Strategy. Nevertheless, consultations regarding the second phase of the Egyptian AI Strategy are underway with Egypt's Minister of ‎ICT and the NCAI.

The second phase of the Egyptian AI Strategy will be directed towards implementing various initiatives ‎set out in the first phase and will take on ‎priority initiatives aimed at enhancing investment, increasing public awareness, and ‎developing greater AI capabilities in Egypt.

South Africa

Unlike Mauritius, Kenya, and Egypt, South Africa is yet to implement a national approach to AI regulation. Nevertheless, businesses in South Africa have seen an increased uptake of AI in their workplaces compared to ‎the rest of Africa, with the result being a more pressing demand for the adoption of AI regulation. In addressing this demand, the South African Department of Communications and Digital Technology (DCDT) proposed a discussion document on AI (the Discussion Document) in April 2024.

The Minister of the DCDT's introduction to the Discussion Document highlights South Africa's ongoing development of an AI-focused legislative framework and outlines key Government AI priorities while setting policy development deadlines to ensure that South Africa is not left behind in the global AI race.

The aim of the Discussion Document is to facilitate interactions between the South African Government and the private sector. The interactions are, in turn, aimed towards establishing the appropriate principles to guide an approach towards AI regulation and develop a regulatory framework for AI. This approach varies from the African countries discussed

above as it takes an extended consultative approach to policymaking, which includes wide engagement with the South African private sector and prolonged implementation.

In adopting this approach, South Africa has no existing legislation or regulatory framework to govern the use of AI. Thus, South Africa is heavily dependent on the application of data protection legislation for the regulation of AI. AI regulation in South Africa is presently enforced through the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), the Consumer Protection Act, the Electronic ‎Communications Act, and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, among others.

While ‎existing legislation in South Africa has contributed somewhat to the regulation of AI-related developments, such legislation was not promulgated to serve the purpose of AI regulation.

South Africa is expanding its AI knowledge centers through the South African Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR). CAIR's nine established and two emerging research groups span eight universities conducting AI research in South Africa. CAIR's funding is primarily provided by the South African Department of Science and Innovation and the country's AI research is further supported by the AI Institute of South Africa. The drafting of more specific AI regulations and the ‎transformation of existing legislation to accommodate the changing and growing AI ‎environment is becoming an evermore pressing concern for South Africa.

Nigeria

As with South Africa, Nigeria places reliance on existing legislation for the regulation of AI ‎technologies, such as the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), among others. The ‎NDPA places various obligations on organizations that perform activities related to ‎the collection and processing of personal data but does not consider AI regulation specifically. Further obligations of the NDPA include taking responsibility ‎for third parties involved in the processing of personal data, appointing a data protection officer (DPO), and implementing data processing security measures.

Nonetheless, Nigeria has moved towards implementing AI-specific policies. The Nigeria Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCDE) directed Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency ‎(NITDA) to develop a national AI policy for Nigeria. Following the FMCDE's directive, the NITDA published a white paper for the National Artificial Intelligence Policy (NAIP) in 2022. The NAIP is aimed at regulating the everyday implications of AI by addressing the complexities of AI economic integration. An updated draft of the NAIP was published in March 2023, with another white paper following closely thereafter in August 2023, this time announcing an expansion of the draft NAIP. More recently, the NITDA has hosted expert workshops on the NAIP to further coordinate a Nigerian strategy for AI.

Morocco

In a similar fashion to South Africa and Nigeria, Morocco relies on existing legislation for AI regulation. Morocco's existing laws include ‎Law No. 09-08, which contains rules relating to personal data protection. Morocco has also ‎established a National Commission for the Control of the Protection of Personal Data ‎‎(CNDP). The CNDP acts as the regulator for data processing in Morocco.

While Morocco has progressed in its integration of AI into its economy through the establishment of academic institutions, largescale data centers, and by hosting international conferences, no regulatory advancements have been made in the field of AI specifically. MoroccoAI, a private sector AI promotion initiative, took a step towards AI-specific regulation when it published recommendations for a Moroccan AI strategy in October 2023. Although this initiative indicates a step towards developing an AI-specific regulatory environment, no action has been taken by the Moroccan Government to develop and implement a national AI strategy as of yet.

These African countries showcase the three levels of progressive realization of AI regulation undertaken by some African jurisdictions.

Advancing AI regulation in Africa

It is clear from the above that a number of African countries are active participants in developing an equilibrium between AI regulation and innovation. It is particularly promising to identify jurisdictions focused on implementing AI strategies and policies for public sector reform, education, and research. Kenya, for example, has adjusted its national curriculum for schools in 2022 to introduce coding in primary and secondary schools' curricula. On the other side of the educational spectrum, South African universities and private associations host conferences and various other events in support of their development of local AI capacities.

The African AI innovation ecosystem is clearly active, but the progressive realization of AI regulation seems to be lagging behind in some jurisdictions. The immediate accompanying danger is that the risks associated with AI development and AI technologies may only be addressed subsequent to the realization of such risks. However, the AU Draft Policy, once adopted, has the potential to enable AU member states to leapfrog AI regulatory development, including those in the developmental and experimental stages of their AI regulation.

Shahid Sulaiman Senior Partner shahid.sulaiman@dentons.com

Davin Olën Associate davin.olen@dentons.com

Monique Bezuidenhout Legal intern monique.bezuidenhout@dentons.com

Dentons, South Africa

/ Read original article here /

AFRICAN AI PIONEER INSTADEEP READY FOR FUTURE AFTER €500M TAKEOVER

When Karim Beguir and Zohra Slim co-founded artificial intelligence pioneer InstaDeep a decade ago, the idea of an Africa-founded AI business with applications in fields as diverse as medical science, shipping and circuit board programming wasn’t even on their radar.

All that the Tunisian-born founders knew was that they hoped to use their understanding of software and mathematics to affect meaningful change on the continent of their birth.

“The reason to start in Africa, in Tunisia –and the project was going to be technology

Karim Beguir has a message for young African artificial intelligence entrepreneurs: with the right ideas and technical knowhow, international players will open their chequebooks, he tells David Thomas.

...continues on page 46

Conversation with Karim Beguir by David Thomas. Image: Jason Venkatasamy

A new era of generative AI for everyone

The technology underpinning ChatGPT will transform work and reinvent business.

...continued from page 44

in general, we were not clear about the exact path – was it had to have a positive impact on the communities. The idea was always to empower local talent, and create a business that’s lean, digital and international from day one,” Beguir, the InstaDeep co-founder and CEO, tells African Business from the firm’s offices in London’s Paddington.

Naturally experimental and impatient to make an impact, the startup flitted between projects, toying with website development and chasing the white whales of virtual and augmented reality. Investor interest was minimal, budgets were stretched to the max, and the two founders, says Beguir, didn’t take a salary “for years”. It took Beguir’s in-depth reading of a detailed AI research paper, laden with technical details and complex mathematics, for the future outline of the firm to emerge.

“Initially I thought I would not understand what I was reading. But it turned out that actually, I could follow what was going on. I realised that I knew these things. These things were not science fiction for me. I realised I had the exact background – applied mathematics at École Polytechnique in France and then in the US at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences [at New York University]. My co-founder’s forte is the technical, software side of things; mine is also technical, applied math, AI, and neural nets – so we already had a team. That was the lightbulb moment – InstaDeep was going to be a full-force AI company that would prove everybody wrong.”

Today, ten years on from the company’s founding, Beguir’s initial feeling that the partners had a unique grasp of the challenges and opportunities of AI has been vindicated in spectacular fashion. In that time, InstaDeep has leapt from being a small Tunisian startup to a global firm with around 300 staff and offices across Africa – including Cape Town, Lagos, Kigali and Tunis – as well as bases in the world’s major financial hubs.

In 2018 – the year which changed everything for the firm – InstaDeep opened its London office and raised its first $8m Series A funding round with investors AfricInvest. They haven’t looked back since. Alongside its physical expansion, the range of its technologies has developed at a similarly startling rate. Today it has multiple flagship products. DeepPack is an AI application allowing shippers to pack containers with maximum efficiency to achieve volume and cost savings; while DeepPCB uses AI to design complex printed circuit boards in less than 24 hours. And then there’s DeepChain – InstaDeep’s programme which allows medical researchers to explore protein sequences in minutes with AI language models trained on billions of amino acids.

It was surely the promise of the latter –as well as the firm’s potential “to discover,

design and develop next-generation immunotherapies at scale by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies” – that led German biotech firm BioNTech (creators of the hugely successful Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine) to complete a cash-and-shares takeover of InstaDeep in January 2023, building on previous investment and close collaboration dating back years. The total consideration to acquire the remaining InstaDeep shares, excluding the shares already owned by BioNTech, amounted to approximately €500m in cash, BioNTech shares, and performancebased future milestone payments. From humble beginnings, InstaDeep had captured the zeitgeist.

Insta-success

Amid the palpable global excitement around AI – the multi-billio n dollar deals, the breathless news coverage and social media hype, the furrowed brows of regulators and the dystopian talk of AI’s humanitydestroying potential – it is easy to lose track of the unique value of some of the new technologies. In contrast to the high-minded utopianism of much AI, InstaDeep is keen to assert its basic usefulness to business, highlighting its offering of “AI systems to tackle the most complex challenges across a range of industries and sectors”.

And while complex concepts like machine learning and computing accelerated by graphics processing units (GPUs) also pepper the company’s promotional material, AI first and foremost offers a chance to bring fresh solutions to familiar real-world problems, says Beguir.

“AI today is like electricity. It can be used for multiple applications. Behind the different use cases that can seem very separate from each other lies the same technology platforms, the same innovation… the best way to understand what InstaDeep does is what I called “productised innovation”. We’re not just a great research team. We have the ability to translate this innovation into highimpact products. I’m an AI researcher, but I’m passionate about impact, the ability to move the needle.”

With its generations-old challenges in agriculture, trade, healthcare and technology, nowhere are innovative solutions to societal problems more in-demand than on the African continent. It is here that Beguir argues that companies like InstaDeep, with their local knowledge and appreciation of society’s challenges, have the ability to carve out niches which often elude the giants of the sector.

“It’s possible for AI startups to grow and thrive in Africa. The key thing is to cater to local problems affecting the community. The large players like Open AI and Microsoft are not necessarily going to be the best people to solve a problem affecting a specific community in Africa. “If you are from that

“ With its generations-old challenges in agriculture, trade, healthcare and technology, nowhere are innovative solutions to societal problems more indemand than on the African continent. It is here that Beguir argues that companies like InstaDeep, with their local knowledge and appreciation of society’s challenges, have the ability to carve out niches which often elude the giants of the sector. ”

community and you understand the problem and there is enough critical scale, which very often there is, you can actually solve the problem and build up a successful company grounded locally – you can then unlock a thriving ecosystem. Success breeds success.”

It was this potential to delve into unique AI use cases that first led the firm to expand across the continent of its foundation.

“We were part of this African AI scene, meeting great people, intellectually curious, fantastically gifted. We met fascinating people, notably Arnu Pretorius [now InstaDeep’s head of AI research in Africa], who was at the time the first African AI researcher to have been accepted at major AI conferences with a paper on Africa. “Meeting Arnu in Stellenbosch in 2018 was the moment where I thought, this is amazing, nobody’s built a pan-African AI startup and AI team, but we’re going to do it. And the story in Lagos is pretty similar – we have very talented people with an incredible willingness to learn and go beyond what’s possible.”

Encouraging teams to collaborate, both across the continent and beyond, throws up projects of genuine utility, if not necessarily always commercial application, Beguir says.

In recent months, the Lagos, Kigali and Cape Town offices collaborated on building a system to detect locust breeding grounds by using satellite imagery from organisations including NASA and the European Space Agency. The teams claim that they can predict the breeding grounds of locusts with more than 80% accuracy up to 30 days out, a potentially priceless weapon in the fight against crop decimation and hunger in Africa.

“What’s exciting about us is that most of the projects we do, whether research or paid projects with partners, always involve at least two offices. There is this culture of collaboration – no matter where each office is located in the world, these teams and offices have access to the most exciting projects. That’s very empowering, not only for our young talent in Africa.”

The war for talent

Yet in an industry likely to be dominated by capital-intensive Silicon Valley giants offering exceptional salaries and lifestyle perks, can African-founded firms like InstaDeep win the war for talent and retain the continent’s most gifted AI developers? Beguir says that the firm has introduced both financial and work-based incentives in a bid to hold onto the continent’s best and brightest.

“If you are very ambitious, you join a startup in Africa that’s changing the world. And guess what? Even financially, you might be better off. I mentioned the sharing of the hot projects across the company without bias. Another thing which is critical is that we had this culture where salaries relate to the cost of living in each country, but not stock options. All teams, no matter where, would be eligible for stock options purely based on their merit. People have access to the same projects and same rewards. And I’m very proud of the fact that in Tunisia, Lagos, Cape Town, we created a good number of millionaires with this approach, which proved that you can be successful while staying back home and doing disruptive work that moves the needle.”

That has even led staff from the firm’s European and US offices to pursue opportunities in the firm’s African offices. And in a recent documentary, Cape to Carthage, the firm highlighted the work of what it called the “first pan-African AI research team”.

In truth though, Africa’s ability to attract the best tech talent goes beyond the actions of any one company. Building ecosystems is also the responsibility of African policymakers, Beguir says.

“The issue is more about the quality of the projects. I’d like to see many more highquality startup projects up to international standards, up to Y-Combinator standards. There is an appetite from both local and international investors to back African startups – we just need to improve and raise the bar in terms of quality.”

Beguir lauds Tunisia’s Startup Act, which he says allowed InstaDeep to hire more staff by exempting the firm from employer taxes for five years. But he says the country and others in Africa can still do much more to attract external talent capable of developing local expertise.

“ In truth though, Africa’s ability to attract the best tech talent goes beyond the actions of any one company. Building ecosystems is also the responsibility of African policymakers, Beguir says. ”

“One critical thing that I’m not seeing enough of, and I would love to see more of, is for African governments to understand that if you have elite machine learning and AI or tech experts coming to you and wanting to reside in your country, that’s great. For example, Tunisia would certainly benefit if we had way more work visas authorised for people with ten years or more experience to set up shop, because many Tunisians want to learn but there is not enough expertise locally. A notable development was President Kagame in Rwanda announcing that any young African that comes to Kigali by plane is authorised to work. That’s the kind of ground-breaking initiative that can favour the development of the AI and tech sectors… to enable young thriving startups to lead that revolution.”

Regulatory give-and-take

Yet the first challenge is persuading African governments that the immense potential benefits of a strong AI industry outweigh the challenges, from in-built data biases to AI’s capacity for job erosion. Beguir, who participated in the 2023 AI Safety Summit at the UK’s Bletchley Park, is keenly aware of the divided views among global policymakers on the industry in which he has made his fortune.

“The complex question is: how do you prevent the most negative outcomes of AI while promoting the positive ones? I’ll give you a concrete example – open sourcing. There is debate right now over whether we should open-source fully; or should we do the opposite and regulate and prevent opensourcing? From my personal perspective, I do believe there can be compromise. Open-sourcing is amazing – it’s what allowed InstaDeep, especially in the early days, to grow exponentially in capabilities by leveraging the work of others. Today, InstaDeep open-sources a massive amount of innovative research, so we’re contributors as well and this is very beneficial for economic growth.

“At the same time, when we’re looking at models that are trained with more computing than everything that’s been done in history, it’s important that we have a positive dialogue with regulators and that there is some control taking place, because at the frontier we are seeing the emergence of capabilities that were previously science fiction… A certain level of smart oversight is needed for preserving good outcomes, but we do definitely need to have this open community to allow, notably in Africa, many more projects to be successful like InstaDeep has been.”

Ultimately, Beguir passionately believes that Africa has to earn its seat at the top table by enabling excellence at home. Only when African AI is capable of creating its own datasets, or governments are able to unleash the power of their countries’ own AI enterprises, can the continent expect to take its rightful place in global conversations on data biases and regulation, he argues.

“What’s at stake is, can we create local champions that become international champions and then are part of the global conversation and innovation in AI? If we have our own AI champions or startups, then they will create more data and the ownership of that data will be local.”

Enter BioNTech

As the first decade of InstaDeep’s journey draws to a close, the firm’s position as an African trailblazer at the heart of these critical conversations looks assured. But with BioNTech’s big-money takeover complete, InstaDeep’s future as a subsidiary means the next decade is likely to look substantially different.

The firm is no stranger to working with companies of international renown – in 2022, it extended a long and fruitful collaboration with US hardware and software giant Nvidia by announcing that it will use the Nvidia Cambridge-1 supercomputer to train AI language models using genomics data – but the BioNTech takeover offers an even deeper level of corporate intimacy. Will the firm be able to retain its African focus, individual character and autonomy? Beguir, perhaps unsurprisingly, thinks so. Since the takeover, the company has opened its office in Kigali, Rwanda, where BioNTech has its own manufacturing facility, and InstaDeep will continue to deliver solutions in areas as diverse as technology, transport & logistics, industrial, and financial service. If anything, the firm is planning to extend its horizons, Beguir says.

“We’re very excited to be part of BioNTech Group, and because it’s been such a great partner for five years and we’ve been working hand-in-hand for such a long time, the acquisition was not a big change. We are operationally independent. We obviously support our BioNTech colleagues on the very exciting work they do at the cutting edge of biology. And we also have our ability to engage with external partners in other fields, from optimising electrical grid networks to train networks and working on hardware design and many other exciting projects.

“What’s exciting is that we have the chance to work on projects that can really change the world.”

And, Beguir says, the takeover also sends another message to young African AI entrepreneurs – with the right ideas and technical knowhow, international players will open their chequebooks.

“My message to young talent in Africa is: AI is happening. We are still at the beginning so do not be afraid to learn more about what’s going on in AI. It’s probably the best return on investment in terms of your learning and education that you can do.”

THE DAWN OF ONDEVICE AI PROCESSING

/ By Deon Van Zyl /

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become integral to our daily lives, from voice assistants to generative text and images. However, the future of AI lies in on-device processing, a technology that brings AI capabilities directly to our devices and transforms how we interact with technology.

The Importance of On-Device AI Processing

On-device AI processing involves running AI algorithms directly on devices such as smartphones and laptops, instead of relying on cloud servers. As device processors become more powerful simultaneously, the on-device AI is expected to offer increasingly sophisticated and personalized user experiences. On-device AI processing enhances privacy, reduces latency, improves performance, enables offline functionality, and strengthens security by minimizing the attack surface. Also, the battery life is saved by the reduction of cloud communication.

One of the most exciting developments is the ability to run large language models (LLMs) locally. This capability can enhance applications like virtual assistants and translation services by providing faster and more reliable responses. On-device AI processing significantly increases response times because it does not need to communicate with remote servers. This is essential for applications requiring real-time feedback like augmented reality (AR) and gaming. Furthermore, it is particularly crucial for applications that handle personal data for example health trackers and financial apps, to process and store this data on-device. This guarantees that sensitive information remains on the user's device reducing the risk of data breaches and enhancing privacy.

“

On-device AI processing involves running AI algorithms directly on devices such as smartphones and laptops, instead of relying on cloud servers. As device processors become more powerful simultaneously, the on-device AI is expected to offer increasingly sophisticated and personalized user experiences. On-device AI processing enhances privacy, reduces latency, improves performance, enables offline functionality, and strengthens security by minimizing the attack surface. Also, the battery life is saved by the reduction of cloud communication. ”

The Essential Components

The key components that make up on-device AI processing are specialized hardware, optimized software, and advanced machine learning models.

Specialized Hardware

Modern devices are equipped with AIspecific hardware for example neural processing units (NPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and graphical processing units (GPUs). These components are aimed to handle the parallel processing required for AI tasks. Specifically looking at the NPU area. Qualcomm’s latest processors (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) leverage multiple processors. Including the function of a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU).

Optimized Software

Software frameworks and libraries have been optimized to run AI models on limitedresource environments. These frameworks leverage the specialized hardware to deliver high performance without draining battery life excessively.

Advanced Machine Learning Models

Recent advancements in machine learning have made it feasible to deploy AI on devices. These models are designed to be both accurate and efficient, allowing them to run effectively on smaller hardware footprints.

The AI-Driven Devices Poised to be Revolutionize

Smartphones are at the forefront of this revolution. Manufacturers like Apple and Google integrating AI capabilities directly into their latest models. Features like improved real-time photo and video editing, voice recognition and can now be found on them. It is not just smartphones, as Microsoft has also announced their ARM-powered Surface laptop, which uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X. These laptops are considered a Copilot+ PC, which therefore has a lot of additional functionality such as Cocreator, Live captions, and Recall. Microsoft's new "Recall" feature for Windows 11 is created to record everything you do on your PC while providing a comprehensive log of user activities. This feature creates a detailed semantic index of your actions which allows you to search for and retrieve past activities using natural language queries. For instance, you can search for specific content across various applications like PowerPoint, Excel, and messaging apps. Making it easier to find and use historical information. This generated data is stored securely with BitLocker encryption. Users can manage their privacy settings by controlling which applications are recorded and even deleting specific snapshots or entire time ranges of recorded activities.

Local AI-Driven Actions

AI running locally on a device has the capability for users to state specific tasks and execute the required steps to achieve them. Examples of the tasks could be changing the screen brightness, managing files, controlling hardware, or even more complex multiple-step processes. Two

“Smartphones are at the forefront of this revolution. Manufacturers like Apple and Google integrating AI capabilities directly into their latest models. Features like improved realtime photo and video editing, voice recognition and can now be found on them. It is not just smartphones, as Microsoft has also announced their ARMpowered Surface laptop, which uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X. ”

notable advancements in device control via on-device AI are operating system APIs and the grounding technique from xLang.ai. Now take this scenario, where a user wants to troubleshoot the computers or capture scanned receipts into Excel. The AI identifies the necessary steps to achieve a user-stated goal within a device or installed software. After this, it can determine how to interact with the operating system or applications to perform these actions on the user’s behalf. Possibly, by executing generated scripts or manipulating the mouse and keyboard. When actioning the steps, AI can check if the steps are successful and proceed until the goal is achieved. As OnDevice AI Processing continues to develop, it will enable more powerful and personalized AI applications while transforming our digital experiences. Therefore, the future of AI is not only in the cloud but also in the palm of our hands, and the possibilities are limitless.

BCom (Hons), Senior System Developer

Linkedin: deonvanzyl

Deon is a sophisticated technical IT professional with a solid history of effectively bridging the gap between Programming, Security, Digital Forensics, Artificial Intelligence, and Teaching. His track record of over 25 years, has a footprint that spans major corporations, academic institutions, and government.

Deon van Zyl (Norway)

Africa’s 4IR Trade & Innovation Magazine

AFRICAN UNION

AI Continental White Paper Published

GOOGLE opens new cloud region in Africa

AI JOB DYNAMICS in South Africa

TANZANIAN JUDICIARY leverages

SYNAPSE

Africa's only AI Trade & Innovation Magazine

REACH AFRICA'S LARGEST

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & 4IR

COMMUNITY WITH SYNAPSE MAGAZINE

Published Quarterly

O cial Publication of AI Expo Africa

RATE CARD

AD SIZE

Company Listing (logo, company description & hyperlink)

R2500

1/4 Page (includes 1/4 page editorial) R3500

1/2 Page (includes 1/2 page editorial) R4500

Full Page (includes full-page editorial feature) R6500

Double Page Spread R10,000

* All rates exclude VAT & agency commission. Rates are based on casual advertising. Discounted rates are available for longer ad / editorial runs

READERSHIP / SOCIAL MEDIA REACH

Synapse Magazine is Africa’s first and only business quarterly publication covering developments across the continent in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) smart technologies.

Synapse offers industry executives, practitioners, investors and researchers relevant news, in-depth analysis, and thought leadership articles on trends around 4IR innovation and digital transformation in industries that include banking, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, mining, agriculture, education, and government, among others.

With its insights, interviews and case studies, the magazine aims to be a voice for African 4IR practitioners, researchers, innovators, thought leaders, and the wider African AI community.

Since its launch in 2018, Synapse has amassed a combined readership of 31,300 across the Issuu platform (on which it is published), the AI Media Group’s email database, the AI Expo Africa Community Group on LinkedIn and the AI Media Group’s social media channels where the magazine is distributed. It also links to AI TV, Africa’s only dedicated YouTube streaming channel focused on 4IR business users and trade.

Over the years the magazine has established a significant following across Africa as well as globally, with readers from as far afield as the North America, South America, Europe and Asia. This makes Synapse a great marketing platform for startups and established tech companies to reach a broader community of buyers, investors and partners.

Readers around the world

BOOK YOUR AD / EDITORIAL FEATURE

Advertising and artwork to be supplied as a high resolution PRESS-ready PDF of at least 300dpi. Art and editorial features to be submitted to: daniel.mpala@aiexpoafrica.com