Advancing responsible AI innovations for agriculture and food systems in Africa

 

Responsible innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to address critical development challenges in Africa and help countries and communities advance toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, a key insight emerging from the AI ecosystem is that there is a need to go beyond ideas and prototypes to scale innovations that solve real-world problems. 

This project will enhance the integration of responsible AI innovations in agriculture and food systems across Africa in a way that ensures the benefits of AI applications accrue to smallholder farmers, women, young people and other groups often excluded from technological advancements. It will produce evidence on the effectiveness of AI tools in solving critical problems in Africa’s agriculture ecosystem, positioning those tools to have an impact at scale and to serve the public good. This cross-regional project will influence the AI innovation ecosystem toward responsible and inclusive AI through capacity building, knowledge sharing, network building and evidence generation.

This project is 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. The vision of the new partnership is to support an inclusive, responsible AI ecosystem that improves quality of life for all in Africa and beyond.