Google announced yesterday that it will be launching an Artificial Intelligence (AI) research centre in Africa, which will open later this year in Accra, Ghana.
The development follows both an uptake in Internet technology and interest in machine learning research across the continent.
While preparing the AI centre for use, it plans to bring top machine learning researchers and engineers to advance AI research and its applications in this new centre. It has also opened up opportunities for machine learning researchers to join this new centre, as research scientists or research software engineers.
“We’re committed to collaborating with local universities and research centres, as well as working with policy makers on the potential uses of AI in Africa," Jeff Dean, Senior Fellow, Google AI, and Moustapha Cisse, Staff Research Scientist and lead of Google AI Centre Accra noted. "We’re excited to combine our research interests in AI and machine learning and our experience in Africa to push the boundaries of AI while solving challenges in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.”
The new AI centre in Accra joins the list of other locations where Google focus on AI, including Paris, Zurich, Tokyo, Beijing, Montreal, Toronto, Seattle, Cambridge/Boston, Tel Aviv/Haifa, New York, and San Francisco headquarters.
AI has great potential to positively impact the world, so it makes sense that Africa should be well represented in the development of AI.
