The document outlines plans for an AI for Development initiative in Africa focused on research, capacity building, and developing ethical and rights-based AI applications. Key goals include shaping AI policy on the continent, building local AI skills, and supporting locally-driven public interest applications. Stakeholders discussed needs around governance, infrastructure, skills, and private sector innovation, as well as existing initiatives and new ideas. Targets over 5 years include policies in 30 countries, 15 data protection agreements, and quality research centers in each nation.

1. A Roadmap for AI for
Development in Africa

4. 2018 Government AI
Readiness Index

5. Cluster Indicator
Governance Dataprotection/privacylaws- yes/no
NationalAI strategy- yes/no/pending
Infrastructure anddata Dataavailability
Government procurementofadvancedtechnology
Data/AIcapability(in government)
Skills andeducation Technologyskills
Privatesector innovationcapability
NumberofAI startups
Government andpublic services Digital publicservices
Effectivenessof government
Importanceof IT togovernment’s vision ofthe future
Government AIReadiness Index

7. • scope out the African ML/AI landscape
• Create an African AI research roadmap
• Support the development of cross-
continent cooperation
Goals for the workshop

8. Policy and Regulation: Shape ethical and rights based AI
Capacity: Build local skills in AI
Applications: Support locally driven applications for the public interest
Whathave we discussed?

10. Governance National AIStrategies Across the World

11. • Designing regulatory frameworks thatbothstimulateAI innovation,whileminimizing harms(to civil liberties) – the
lattershouldnotstiflethe former - theseframeworksdon’texistyet
• Africancontext:Need regulatoryframeworksthataredesigned forthe Africancontext,notsimplyimporting western-
designed frameworks
• Need for regulatory learning - ensureregulationis learning fromadvancementsin AI, so thatregulationdoesn’tstifle
AI advancementswit policyrapidresponses
• Trust: Need forgreatertransparencyandaccountabilityofalgorithmsforgreater trust.How do wedothat?
• Quantificationof harm:Need researchtoidentifyandquantifypotentialharmstobeabletogaugewhetheritis aan
acceptablelevel of risk–as well research toquantifythe benefitsofAI
(Doweneed pre-emptiveregulationforpre-emptiveharm?)
Key Needs

12. Existing Initiatives
• PASET:Partnership for skills in applied scienceengineering and technology (AU) –4th
industrial revolution forum –Kigali May
• AI and blockchain task force in Kenya
• RIA:Research ICT Africa – policy papers
• PRIDA–Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (AU-EU)
• Open AIR:AI innovation
• RightsCon –Tunis –algorithmic transparency
• DRIF:Digital Rights inclusion Forum DRIF’19 –Lagos yearly
• AUDA –NEPAD:flagship projects –AI
• ACFTA:Africa Continental FreeTrade Area
Existing Initiatives

13. • 30 African countries to have AI specific policies
• To have 15 ratificationsand 30 signatures to African Data
protection and Cybercrimes Convention
• To have qualityAI policies that include:
• Multi-stakeholder and evidence based input
• Systematic inclusion of normative framework (laws) into
system protocols.
• AI regulation that is ethical and rights based
• Context specific regulation for Africa
5 Year Targeted Outcomes

14. Policy Research Capacity Goal
• To have5regionalresearchcentersthathavethelong termvisionofbeing
centersofexcellenceinAfrica
• Towards a center of excellence in each country that are responsive to AI policies and
windows of opportunities
• To have500researcherswhichincludes:
• Policy researchers that understand AI
• AI researchers who understand policy
• Majority works for the public interest
PolicyResearch Capacity Goal

15. • Participation:
• Guarantee a minimum number of Africans to be involved in setting the policy and
policy research agenda globally;
• Ensure African researchers are meaningfully involved in ALL global AI conversations;
• ResearchFundingsupport:
• just in time and long term research questions
• Support for effective research communications
• Activities:
• Peer mentorship for quality research;
• Access to journals and legislation portals;
• Online and event-based knowledge sharing facility.
Effective GlobalPolicyEngagement

16. Short-term steps
• Online network sharing
• DRIFApril 23-5th – Workshop on Algorithmic Transparency – Arthur Gwagwa
• Rightscon meeting in June to ID next steps
• AI for Good Summit 28-31 May 2019 -Geneva, Switzerland
• IGF meeting – Berlin November– further progress with new stakeholders (12th April
workshop deadline)
Short-Term Steps

18. Capacity Capacity

19. Points for Reflection
CapacitatingAI Strengththrough Community
The Philosophy

20. Key Needs
• Context [Environment, Utility]
• Need to understand what the local needs are
• Why is it useful to have AI/ML [Capacity <> Funding]
• Educational Agility and Clarity
• Adapt to the local need [Research, Startups etc.]
• Transdisciplinary
• Explain and demystify AI/ML for the public. Better entrance pipelines.
• Synergy
• Weneed to understand what is going on around the continent
• Sharing resources [Abundance in funding, scarcityin opportunity]
• Funding
• Mentorship
• Collaboration
Key Needs

21. Existing Initiatives
Existing initiatives
Existing Initiatives

22. New ideas
• Regional Community Capacity DevelopmentCoordination
• Southern African Region
• East African Region
• West African Region
• North African Region
• Integration and sharing across regions. Nodes and SuperNodes.
• Graduate 400 African PhDs in ML/AI/DSin next 5 years?
• Have a research center in everyAfrican country?
• Strength at allLevels = startups / education / research /
training / teaching / industry / meetups = World-Class!!
• Break Dichotomy between Research and Application
• Collaboration with IP protections
New Ideas

23. Key Activitiesand Outcomes
Activity Outcome(s)
Studyonbest practiceanddefining AIforAfrica Informingstrategicdirection[LookatsuccessfulAfrricancountries]
Communicating AItothePublic Understandingbythepublic[general,secondaryschools,etc.]
AITalentPipeline
AICentersofExcellence [People,notplaces] Skilledpipelineforthe continent.
Startupgrowth
IndustryGrowth
Researchoutputsandimpact
Betterunderstandingof business/society/sciencevalue
Effective Mentoring
ResearchCohorts[MS,PhD, Faculty]
AIEngineeringCohort- CompressedMS
AIEngineering+[IndustryTraining]
Openfunding forcapacity building [Strategic] Localisedcapacitybuildingnudging collaborationacrossacademia,government, industryand startups.
Public Policy and Strategies[Governmentetc.] Governmentsenterthegame,shapestrategyanddeliver.
Multi-disciplinary Co-Creation Crosscuttinginnovation
Challenges& Datasets InnovationthroughFriendlyCompetition
SynergyCoordination Understandingwhoandwhere:Industry,Startups,Research
KeyActivities and Outcomes

25. Applications

26. Key Needs
• PeerGroup ForAI Practitioners
Providing amplificationtoprivatesector needsandstrengths
• AccessTo Funding
Capitalforinfrastructure,PM Fit, GrowthStageventures israre,government fundingforrisky
projects
• Africa's FragmentedMarket
Challenge togetting criticalmass ofCustomersforAI innovations
• Limited accessto information
Limitedaccessto academicresearch,open science, methods,data
• Limited infrastructure
Electricity,computingspeeds, cloud space
• Responseto SDGs
PrivateSectorandInnovationsneeds torespondtoneeds in Africanow andin future
Key Needs

27. Existing Initiatives
• H3Africa – Human Heredity and Health in Africa
• Global Pulse:UBOS
• Data Science Africa
• Women in data science and machine learning:agriculture
• Efficient agriculture:connecting use of drones with phenotype/genotype data
• Researchto create personalizemedicine in WesternCape Town
• Social media to prevent spread ofdengue –Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso
• Nigeria University- AI for diagnosis, clinical decision support, digital, assessment of
diseases
• Kenya indigenous poultry consortium - Social media mining for students to
communicate; Disease outbreak of indigenous chicken
Existing Initiatives

28. • BBC/Edinburg- Translation of African languages into English
• Universityof Cape Town - Information retrieval, cultural heritage preservation work
(historical languages….), machine learning in educational technology; also
• Many research groups -Data Science Africa
• ElementAI - Satellite imagery to identify signs of conflict, impact of natural disasters in
communities, climate change,
• Google Launchpad Studio
• Cortex Logic VC
• Africa AI show
• Facebook
• Microsoft HeadStart
• IBM Research Labs
Existing Initiatives

29. New ideas
• Collaboration with non-AIcommunities
• Challenges to scale up of best practices
• Buying from local actors
• Funding
• Policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks
• Academic Curriculum Revision
New Ideas

30. Points for Reflection
• How mightwe incentivize private sector to work on AI with strong
development outcomes (i.e.AI4D)?
• How mightwe support & stimulateprivate sector and academic research
partnership?
• How mightwe develop a fundingmechanisms(including start-up&
venture capital) to support local development/use of AI?
Points forReflection

31. • Strong networks thatincludes 10-20leading African-basedcompaniessubstantiallycontribute to
key areasof theAfricandevelopment agenda
• Networks oftelecoms,Large techcompanies,universities, research centres (ILRI,ICIPE, KEMRI,etc.),
Public SectorInstitutions(Example:MTN Element AI, andusersin Africa)
• Focus on skilldevelopmentand developmentof local solutions
• Funding to collaborationon AI
• Investmentsin AI to advance collaboration betweenprivate sector,universitiesand public-interestinstitutions. (USD 1
Billion targetoverthenext5years?)
• EngageVCs, Angels,Unrestrictedgrants to support startups for localusecasesinAI for development
• Globalresources availablefor Africanentrepreneurs
• OrganisingAI conferencesin Africa withdiverserepresentation
• Networkingplatforms with global playersinterestedinbuilding resources
• Facilitate tech transferto local actors
Key Outcomes (5-year Target)

32. Key Outcomes (Short-Term)
• Linkageswithexistingnetworksofpractitioners
• SupportandlearnfromcollaborativeeffortsofAfricanorganisationsfocused
onAI4D
• Explorequickwins:
• Pilots between academia and sector domain experts
• Embed AI fellows in NGOs etc.
• Research
• IdentifyviableAI4DEVsolutions(i.e.fastimplementation,massivescale)
• NeedtounderstandAI innovationcycleinAfrica,includingacademy
participation

33. Reaching the Marginalizedand the Poor
• Identifyandworkwithdevelopmentcommunitiese.g. Invitedevelopmentorgs to
DeepLearningIndaba or othereventstoconnect
• Includediversedata sourcesforAIInnovatione.g.platformonbigdatafrom
CGIAR,Telcodata
• IntegrateAIintodevelopmentprojectsfrom anearlyphase
• Engagewithstandardsettingorganizations toensureinnovationsscalableacross
usecases
• Engagelocal leadershipduringproblemsolvingandproductdevelopmentcycle

34. AddressingAfrica’s Diversity
• Encourage dissemination of information.
• AIWiki, for example
• Recognize the inhomogeneity of Africa:
• Specific conversations with Francophone and Portuguese-speaking
Africa
• Engage different countries to help with contextually-relevant
groupings
• Create platforms for engagement of different groupings
• Engage regional bodies for identifying goals

35. The work is just starting...
In the next months, we will continueto engage other stakeholders
in shaping these plans
Website: ai4d.ai
https://ai4d.ai/event/ssa-network/
Twitter: @ai4dev #ai4dev
idrc.ca/ai4d

36. Ciira Maina
Senior Lecturer
Dedan Kimathi Universityof Technology
www.ciirawamaina.com
Vukosi Marivate
ABSA UPChair of Data Science
Dept. Computer Science, Univ.of Pretoria
www.vima.co.za
Focal points
CAPACITYBUILDINGPOLICYANDREGULATION APPLICATIONS
TejumadeAfonja
AI Engineer
AI Saturdays Lagos /
InstaDeephttps://aisaturdayslagos.github.io/
Olubayo Adekanmbi
ChiefTransformationOfficer/ Convener
MTN Nigeria/
Data Science Nigeria
www.datasciencenigeria.org
Leonida Mutuku
CEO/ Researcher
Intelipro Limited/ LDRI
https://www.developlocal.org/
Alex Comninos
Researcher
Research ICTAfrica
https://comninos.org
Dr. Robert Muthuri
Research Fellow
ICTat the Centrefor IP and IT(CIPIT)
Strathmore School of Law
Kathleen Siminyu
Head of Data Science
Africa's Talking
https://africastalking.com/

37. Aisha Researcher IBMResearch Africa
AlexComninos Researcher Research ICT Africa
AlexandraBirch Research Fellow UniversityofEdinburgh
AlfredOngere Founder and team lead AiKenya
AnnaMaria Oltorp IDRC
ArthurErnest Gwagwa Research Associate CIPIT: StrathmoreLawSchool
BenjaminRosman
SeniorLecturer/ Principal
Researcher Universityofthe Witwatersrand/CSIR
BettyMurithi StrathmoreUniversity
BitangeNdemo AssociatePeofessor UniversityofNairobi
BolanleF. Oladejo SeniorLecturer UniversityofIbadan
BrianMuhia Machine Learning Engineer UTU Technologies
Charity Wayua SeniorResearch Manager IBM
Ciira Maina SeniorLecturer Dedan KimathiUniversityof Technology
Cynthia M. Mulenga Product Manager BongoHive
Daniele Orner ChiefScientist Brave
DavorOrlic COO Knowledge 4 AllFoundation
DelmiroFernandez-Reyes Dr. UniversityCollegeLondon
Deshen Moodley AssociateProfessor/DeputyDirector
DeptofComp. Science, UniversityofCape
Town/Centre forArtificialIntelligence
DrNickBradshaw CEO AIMedia PTY Ltd
ErikBongcam-Rudloff ProfessorofBioinformatics SwedishUniversityofAgriculturalSciences
Eva Ohlsson IDRC
Fernando Perini IDRC
Geoff Hill SeniorPolicyManager UKRI
Grace Mutungu Associate Kenya ICT ActionNetwork
Hussein SULEMAN
Head of Departmentand Associate
Professor
Department ofComputer Science, Schoolof IT,
UniversityofCape Town
Ivy Barley CEO DevelopersinVogue
Jeph Acheampong Founder BlossomAcademy
Johan Hellstrom
Programofficer,Research and
Innovation Embassyof Sweden, Dar esSalaam
John Matogo
UniversityRelations& D-NA Leader
forEastAfrica IBM
John Shawe-Taylor Professorand Head ofDepartment UCL
JulietK. Mutahi Software Engineer IBMResearch | Africa
JuliusEcuru ProgramManager, BioInnovate Africa icipe
Kathleen Siminyu Head of DataScience Africa'sTalking
Kommy ChiefScientist IBMResearch -Africa
KrisSankaran Postdoc Mila
Langa Khumalo Professor University ofKwaZulu-Natal
LatifaHamisiMbelwa SidaResearchProgramme Coordinator UniversityofDaresSalaam
Laurent Elder IDRC
Leonida Mutuku CEO InteliproLimited
MALOSadouanouan Lecturerand researcher Nazi BONIUniversity
Maria Faslli University ofEssex
MelisaAchokoAllela AssistantLecturer Technical University ofKenya
MosesThiga DirectorResearch,Innovation and Outreach Kabarak University
Muthoni Wanyoike Team Lead Instadeep
Naser Faruqui IDRC
NeilButcher Director NeilButcher& Associates
Olubayo Adekanmbi ChiefTransformationOfficer/Convener MTN Nigeria/DataScience Nigeria
Olubunmi Banjo Managing Director Kuvora
Paula Hidalgo-Sanchis Manager Pulse Lab Kampala (UN Global Pulse)UN GlobalPulse
PhilipApodoOyier AssistantLecturer
Jomo Kenyatta University ofAgricultureand Technology
(JKUAT)
PrateekSibal SpecialistConsultant -AI UNESCO
RobertPeeters Netherlands Embassyin Keny
Sarah Kiden Technologistand Researcher Research ICT Africa
Sherif Elsayed-Ali DirectorofPartnerships Element AI
T. IdrissTINTO Coordinator CAFDO
Tejumade Afonja AIEngineer AISaturdays Lagos / InstaDeep
Tonya Nyakeya THINKLab & EcosystemLead IBMResearch -Africa
UlrichPaquet StaffReseachScientist DeepMind / DeepLearning Indaba
Vukosi Marivate ABSAUP Chair ofDataScience Dept.Computer Science, Univ. ofPretoria

38. • TheInternationalDevelopment Research Centre (IDRC)fundsresearch in developing countriesto promotegrowth,reduce
poverty,anddrive large-scale positivechange.IDRCseeksto co-designa AI forDevelopment initiative, withafocuson research
andcapacity-buildingtodevelop AI applicationsthatareinclusive, ethical,andrights-based.Throughthisinitiative, funder
partnerswill pool andleverage resourcestohelp shapetherolloutofAI in the global south,mainlythroughstrengthening
Southerninstitutions.
• TheKnowledge 4 AllFoundation is theonly Europeanmachine learning focusednot-for-profitandanadvocateof AI
applicationsforreachingthe UNsSustainableDevelopment Goals(SDG), especially SDG4.It originatedfromthePASCAL
Networkwhich wasanEU fundedNetworkof Excellencecomprising some1000machine learning,statisticalandoptimisation
researchers.It hasdefactoleading andbuilding theinternationalmachine learning community,throughits activities that
culminatedin today’sAI hype,including supportingtheNIPSconference.
• TheSwedishInternationalDevelopment CooperationAgency (SIDA)isa government agencyofthe SwedishMinistryfor
Foreign Affairs.Sidais responsiblefororganizationofthe bulkofSweden'sofficialdevelopment assistancetodeveloping
countries.
• StrathmoreUniversity is achartereduniversitybasedin Nairobi,Kenya.StrathmoreCollege wasstartedin 1961,as thefirst
multi-racial,multi-religious Advanced-level SixthForm College offeringscience andartssubjects, byagroupofprofessionalswho
formedacharitableeducationaltrust.
The Organizers