Africa Compute Initiative – expanding African access to compute for AI research

The artificial intelligence (AI) compute divide underscores significant disparities in access to advanced Graphics Processing Units and data centres essential for AI development. This gap restricts opportunities for research and economic advancement, particularly in Africa, where high-performance computing infrastructure remains limited. Consequently, African AI innovators encounter considerable obstacles in scaling their solutions and serving underserved communities.

This initiative aims to facilitate access to both cloud-based and on-premises computing resources for African AI innovators and researchers, with a focus on those affiliated with universities. In addition, the project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the specific computing requirements beneficial to AI practitioners in Africa, thereby informing investment strategies and policy decisions by African governments and development organizations.

This initiative will establish Africa’s first AI compute cluster dedicated solely to development-focused university-based AI research. It is expected to enhance the scale and impact of AI-driven innovations addressing development challenges, improve decision-making processes among governmental and development stakeholders and build robust capacity for utilizing advanced computing infrastructure across the continent.

This project is a part of the Artificial Intelligence for Development program, a five-year partnership between IDRC and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as well as a project between IDRC and the United States Agency for International Development. Both collaborations seek to support policy, innovations and expanded leadership to spur safe and responsible AI development and use in Africa.