The UK government has announced new initiatives to support responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) innovation across Africa under the G20 ‘AI for Africa Initiative’ in Cape Town. These projects, implemented in collaboration with leading African and international organisations, aim to accelerate development outcomes, strengthen democratic resilience, and ensure that AI technologies are used safely and equitably throughout the continent.
A key component is the launch of the AI Evidence Alliance for Social Impact (AEASI), a £2.75 million initiative funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) alongside Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Community Jameel. AEASI will advance evidence-based deployment of AI for social good in Africa, support local research leadership, and provide actionable guidance for policymakers and practitioners. Experimental evaluations will identify which AI tools deliver measurable real-world impact, while stakeholder convenings will help shape future research and funding agendas.
In parallel, the University of Cape Town will host the African Hub for AI Safety, Security and Peace, becoming the 12th global AI lab under the UK-Canada AI for Development (AI4D) programme and the second in South Africa. The Hub will focus on mitigating AI safety and security risks in African contexts, develop governance frameworks and technical tools, engage communities in co-design, and position African actors in global AI rule-making processes. This initiative aligns with South Africa’s G20 presidency priorities and the broader AI for Africa agenda, reinforcing African leadership in responsible AI development.
Officials emphasized the importance of these initiatives in promoting inclusive, safe, and contextually relevant AI solutions. UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan highlighted AI’s potential to drive growth, build trust, and empower communities to shape the future. Representatives from IDRC, Community Jameel, and Google.org stressed the need for rigorous evidence on AI effectiveness, safety, and fairness to ensure scalable solutions that benefit diverse populations.
Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen local research capacity, produce open-access studies, develop AI risk detection tools in multiple African languages, and train students and policymakers. By generating evidence to guide AI innovation, the projects seek to reduce bias, exclusion, and systemic harms, establishing a framework for safe, equitable, and impactful AI deployment across the continent.
