On August 20, 2025, the Canadian High Commission in Rwanda, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) co-hosted a roundtable alongside this year’s Deep Learning Indaba, a key meeting for the African machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) community. The event highlighted African-led AI solutions and researchers supported by the Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D) program, a five-year collaboration between IDRC and FCDO. The roundtable reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to promoting inclusive and responsible AI for development, drawing attendees from international agencies, academia, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector.
Canadian Ambassador Julie Crowley emphasized AI4D’s locally led, value-driven approach, noting its ability to unite diverse stakeholders and foster collaboration. She highlighted how the program supports a pan-African network of researchers, innovators, and policymakers to advance ethical, inclusive, and locally relevant AI solutions addressing development challenges. The discussions focused on strengthening African AI ecosystems through community engagement, policy alignment, and nurturing local talent. Research partners supported by IDRC underscored the importance of interdisciplinary research, strategic partnerships, and developing AI models tailored to the needs of African communities.
The roundtable also showcased presentations from AI4D-supported AI labs training students and researchers across Africa. These included the Transformative Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Lab at the University of Rwanda, which prepares the next generation of interdisciplinary AI researchers, the Responsible AI Lab (RAIL) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, and the Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development Goals Lab at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. Additionally, the African Union Development Agency shared insights on AI policy development across the continent, highlighting AI4D’s role in supporting these initiatives.
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