The UK Government has announced new projects in support of
responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) innovation
across Africa, responding to the G20 ‘AI for Africa Initiative'
in Cape Town. These projects, delivered in partnership with
leading African and international organisations, aim to
accelerate development outcomes, strengthen democratic
resilience, and ensure AI technologies are used safely and
equitably.
New AI Evidence Alliance for Social Impact
The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is
partnering with Canada's International Development Research
Centre (IDRC) and Community Jameel, a major philanthropic science
funder, to launch the AI Evidence Alliance for Social Impact
(AEASI), a new £2.75 million initiative to advance the
evidence-informed deployment of AI for social good in
Africa. This is part of a wider $7.5 million collaboration with
Google.org to support AI impact evaluations.
The FCDO's contribution is £1 million, and the initiative will be
implemented by thought leaders on evaluation, the Abdul
Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and IDInsight.
This partnership will:
- fund experimental evaluations to identify which AI tools
deliver real-world impact in Africa and Asia
- strengthen local research leadership and capacity
- provide actionable research and guidance for policymakers and
practitioners
- convene key stakeholders to share insights and set future
research and funding agendas
The initiative will help ensure that AI investments in low- and
middle-income countries are evidence-based, inclusive, and
aligned with development priorities.
Launch of the African Hub for AI Safety, Security and
Peace at the University of Cape Town
A new African Hub for AI Safety, Security and Peace will be
established at the University of Cape Town, becoming the 12th
multidisciplinary global AI lab, and the second in South Africa,
supported through the UK-Canada AI for Development programme
(AI4D) across sub-Saharan Africa. This pioneering lab will focus
on understanding and mitigating the safety and security risks
associated with AI, ensuring that African contexts and
perspectives are part of the global AI governance debate.
The Hub will:
- build capacity for African researchers, policymakers, and
communities to detect and address AI-related harms
- develop governance frameworks and technical tools tailored to
African contexts
- facilitate community engagement and co-design, ensuring
solutions reflect local priorities
- position African actors in global AI rule-making processes
The launch aligns with South Africa's G20 presidency priorities
and the AI for Africa initiative, reinforcing the continent's
leadership in shaping the future of responsible AI.
AI Minister said:
AI has the power to fuel growth, build trust and transform lives
– and every country should share in that. That's why we're
backing African-led innovation that puts people first, tackles
real-world challenges, and builds global resilience. By working
with countries like South Africa, we're making AI safer, fairer
and more inclusive – and helping communities shape the future on
their terms.
Maggie Gorman Velez, Vice-President, Strategy, Regions and
Policies at the International Development Research Centre said:
Artificial intelligence holds extraordinary potential, but only
if the tools, knowledge and power to shape it are accessible to
all – that includes contextually grounded research and evidence
on what works and what does not. That is why IDRC is proud to be
supporting this new evaluation work as part of our ongoing
commitment to the responsible scaling of proven safe, inclusive,
and locally relevant AI innovations.
George Richards, Director of Community Jameel, said:
AI has the potential to help tackle some of the world's most
pressing challenges, but we need evidence of which AI solutions
work effectively, safely and fairly in order to maximise its
impact. We are excited to be launching this new alliance to help
generate the rigorous evidence we need and scale effective AI
solutions to benefit communities around the world.
Alex Diaz, Head of AI for Social Good, Google.org said:
AI has great potential to benefit all people but we urgently need
to study what works, what doesn't, and why if we are to realise
this potential.
Further information
- the African Hub for AI Safety, Security and Peace will
produce open-access research, develop risk detection tools in
multiple African languages, and support training for students and
policymakers
- the AI4D Evaluation Partnership will generate evidence to
guide responsible AI innovation, with a focus on reducing bias,
exclusion, and systemic harms
