AI4D-FCDO labs: Ethiopia

Ethiopia, a geographically vast, low-income country with a rapidly growing population, has significant agricultural resources. However, it faces critical challenges in achieving sustainable development goals. Ethiopia is working to transform into a middle-income, knowledge-based economy as part of its national development agenda and its alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Artificial intelligence (AI) potentially offers Ethiopia a cost-effective and scalable solution to address these developmental challenges. However, the country faces critical gaps in technical expertise, data infrastructure and equitable technology access, which hinder its ability to harness AI’s potential effectively.

This project will build capacity by training masters and PhD students in interdisciplinary AI applications with a strong emphasis on gender equity and the inclusion of marginalized groups. These efforts will address the critical shortage of AI expertise in Ethiopia while fostering a new generation of innovators equipped to tackle complex development challenges. Local stakeholders, including farmers, health-care workers and policymakers, will actively participate in co-creating solutions to ensure their relevance and adoption. The lab aims to deliver transformative outcomes, including improved health-care access and patient outcomes, enhanced food security through sustainable agricultural practices, more transparent and efficient governance systems, and optimized energy resource management.

By leveraging Ethiopia’s strategic position as the headquarters of the African Union, the lab also aims to position the country as a hub for responsible AI, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth.

This project is a part of the Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D) program, a five-year partnership between IDRC and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to support policy, innovations and expanded leadership to spur safe and responsible AI development and use in Africa.