The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Italian G7 Presidency, will launch a pilot project aimed at accelerating African start-ups specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable development.
The pilot program aims to foster innovation and partnerships in data, compute and talent, the three critical pillars that underpin local AI ecosystems in Africa. By focusing on these foundational elements, this program seeks to address the need for an integrated private sector approach to mitigate risks and unleash the transformative power of AI for sustainable development.
This is to support young companies that develop AI solutions that meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of education, energy, health, agriculture, water and infrastructure. Nine countries are concerned by this program, including Congo, Morocco, Kenya, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
Indeed, taking place from September to October, the program will place a particular emphasis on the three essential pillars of AI development, namely computer distribution and accessibility: facilitating access to the computing resources needed to develop and deploy AI solutions; talent development and orchestration: strengthening the skills of AI entrepreneurs and developers; and finally, data quality: improving the quality and accessibility of data to feed AI algorithms.
“Africa is on the threshold of a powerful AI revolution. To harness its potential to address the continent’s most pressing challenges and foster inclusive and responsible growth, a collaborative effort to power AI is needed. A unified approach is needed to shape the pillars of AI development, namely data, compute and talent. Risks abound in the absence of collective action and an enabling ecosystem, which can limit AI’s potential for sustainable development,” the organizers of the program said.
Regarding training, the startups will benefit from mentoring, skills development and distance learning sessions. They will also have the opportunity to participate in an ecosystem creation event organized by Innovit and the Italian G7 Presidency in San Francisco, California (USA), from November 12 to 14. An opportunity for the latter to present their innovative solutions, attract potential investments, form strategic partnerships and implement them with Innovit startups and Silicon Valley AI leaders .
