Google in $5.8 million Africa AI skills acceleration push
Google announced it was committing $5.8 million (R100-million) to AI skills development initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa.
#Africa #skills - Google has announced a $5.8 million commitment to accelerate AI skills initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa, empowering individuals and organisations to leverage AI for economic growth and social impact. Matt Brittin, Google’s outgoing EMEA Business & Operation head, laid out some of the details behind this programme. The company outlined its vision for AI in the region in its research report “The Digital Opportunity of Sub-Saharan Africa” where it estimates that AI can add $30-billion (half a trillion Rand…) to sub-Saharan economies in the next five years.
Google will be supporting programmes in AI skills development for workers across various industries, leaders of non-profits, and up-skilling public sector; as well as educating teens about AI safety
The company appears to be driving this programme through its Google Research Africa centres in Ghana and Kenya, as well as direct initiatives. The only specific announced was supporting the Nigerian government’s 3 million technical talent’s programme (3MTT) and an equity-free accelerator fund to drive Nigerian startups.
This funding of skills initiatives is in addition to a larger $15-million pledged by Google across Middle East and North Africa (MENA) last week.
Africa AI News will stay on this story to understand where exactly the money is being spent, and what comes of it, especially as the leadership team at Google EMEA sees changes, with Brittin leaving Google.