The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, is proud to host the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa under the theme: “AI and Africa's Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa's Workforce"
Home to the largest and fastest-growing workforce in the world, Africa is poised to play a consequential role in the global AI ecosystem. Maximising AI’s tremendous benefits and mitigating its inherent risks will require multi-stakeholder engagement and inclusive dialogue.
We warmly invite you to join us in pioneering new approaches and forging transformative partnerships to harness AI for Africa's growth and prosperity.
The program has been designed to convene thought leaders from various stakeholder groups to:
Meet the Co-Chairs of the 2024 Global AI Summit on Africa
This media briefing will introduce the co-chairs of the Global AI Summit on Africa, who will share their perspectives on Africa’s role in the global AI economy and set the context for the two-day summit.
Africa & the AI Opportunity
Home to the largest and fastest growing workforce in the world, Africa is poised to play a consequential role in the global AI ecosystem. This session will set the scene for the two-day summit exploring challenges and opportunities to advance inclusive and resilient growth.
Leading in the Age of AI span>
By 2030, AI stands to add $15 trillion to the global economy, and at least an additional 6% to Africa’s GDP. Maximizing the tremendous benefits will require Africa’s leaders to navigate complex economic, social, and geostrategic dynamics, and a shared vision for Africa’s leadership in the age of AI.
Inclusive AI for Growth and Development
Global distribution and access to AI is not inevitable. To ensure AI becomes more equitable, safe, and responsible, Africa must invest its people, infrastructure, ecosystems, and governance models.
Jobs, Skills, and Talent Mobility in the Global AI Economy
A robust talent ecosystem is a necessary condition for Africa to fully engage in the global AI economy. What are the most effective strategies for building a productive and globally competitive workforce in Africa in the AI era?
Infrastructure: Barriers to Adoption and Building Blocks for the Future
Despite Africa’s abundant resources, inadequate digital infrastructure remains to be a significant challenge in realizing its AI ambitions—from power to connectivity to the cost of data and devices. Similarly, there is current demand to train and scale AI solutions in Africa, which requires access to affordable compute.
Data: A Strategic Imperative for Adoption, Equity, and Sovereignty span>
Data is the oxygen of the AI economy. Nations must build robust data infrastructure and data strategies to support localized and contextually relevant AI development. This requires responsible data governance and harmonized regulation, trusted cross-border data flows, and investment in data infrastructure to foster innovation.
GenAI— Gaps and Opportunities for Inclusive Development
Africa’s diversity, encompassing 54 countries and over 1,000 languages, presents a unique landscape for the development of generative AI models and the deployment of innovative solutions. However, the concentration of AI model development in a few companies and countries raises significant concerns about inclusion and equitable distribution of benefits.
Innovating for a Healthier Future
AI-enabled scientific research has revolutionized the pace and scope of discovery, offering unprecedented opportunities for advancements in healthcare. In Africa, where healthcare challenges are profound, AI-driven innovations have the potential to significantly improve health outcomes, enhance disease prevention, and optimize resource allocation.
AI in Action: African Success Stories Transforming Industries, Economies, and Societies
Africa is increasingly recognized for its culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, with AI companies emerging across the continent and covering diverse sectors. These companies are not only serving domestic markets but are also making significant inroads internationally. The potential for growth and scale in AI-driven businesses is immense, and African entrepreneurs are at the forefront of this transformation
Building Africa’s compute capacity—sustainably and equitably span>
As the demand for advanced AI applications grows, building the necessary compute capacity is critical for Africa’s technological advancement and economic growth. However, developing this infrastructure sustainably and equitably presents unique challenges and opportunities.
Building National AI Ecosystems
With the rapid pace of AI innovation and adoption, countries must have the right governance frameworks, infrastructure, and ecosystems to fully participate in the AI revolution.
Unleashing the Power of AI in Agriculture
As new waves of agritech such as AI, IoT, Augmented Reality (AR), smart packaging, gene editing, drones, and blockchain are driving agriculture and food sector transformation, they are being seen as the catalyst for increased productivity, and enablers of the next green revolution. Africa has been at the forefront of some of the path-breaking digital interventions such as mobile money. Africa can lead the way again, in digital agriculture
A 360° approach to resilient policy and regulation in the age of Generative AI – Report Launch from the World Economic Forum
Given the rapid evolution and swift adoption of generative AI (genAI), policymakers need to consider strategies so this technology can be utilized for public interest, balancing economic and social opportunities while mitigating risks, in Africa and in the rest of the globe. This session will feature the main actionable recommendations included in the 360-degree governance framework, produced by the “Resilient Governance and Regulation” working group of the AI Governance Alliance of the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Accenture, and designed to support policymakers and regulators in the development of holistic and resilient genAI governance.
Intergenerational Insights: Building Africa’s AI Future span>
Recognizing the pivotal role of African youth can play in the AI revolution, this panel brings together young innovators, entrepreneurs, and students alongside government leaders and industry experts to discuss AI’s opportunities and challenges in Africa. The dialogue will focus on strategies to harness AI for social impact, economic growth, and job creation through youth empowerment and collaboration.
AI and Frontier Technologies: Catalyzing Synergies for Future Economic Growth
The impact of artificial intelligence will grow exponentially as it integrates with emerging technologies like quantum, biotechnology, robotics and more. With immense opportunities for climate solutions to health innovation, join this session to learn how AI will converge with others domains, setting the stage for sustainable, intelligent economies of tomorrow.
AI Governance and Africa’s Positioning within the Global Context
As AI continues to shape economies and societies worldwide, effective governance becomes crucial to ensure that AI technologies are developed and deployed safely, inclusively, and responsibly. For Africa, establishing robust AI governance frameworks is essential not only to mitigate the risks, but also to position the continent as a significant player in the global AI landscape.
Closing Plenary span>
Witness a historic moment as leaders affirm commitments towards shaping Africa’s leadership in the AI era.
Farewell Reception
Join us the farewell reception of the Global AI Summit on Africa