UK government and partners establish AI development initiatives across Africa

New programs focus on evidence-based deployment, safety research, and capacity building to ensure equitable AI adoption in African markets

The United Kingdom has unveiled multiple AI-focused programs across Africa in response to the G20 'AI for Africa Initiative' convened in Cape Town. The initiatives, developed through collaboration with African institutions and international organizations, aim to advance development outcomes, strengthen governance frameworks, and promote safe and equitable AI deployment.

The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is joining forces with Canada's International Development Research Centre and Community Jameel to establish the AI Evidence Alliance for Social Impact, a £2.75 million program designed to advance evidence-based AI deployment for social benefit across Africa. The initiative forms part of a broader $7.5 million partnership with Google.org focused on AI impact assessment.

The FCDO is contributing £1 million to the program, which will be executed by evaluation specialists at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and IDInsight. The alliance will fund experimental evaluations to determine which AI applications deliver measurable impact in African and Asian contexts, while simultaneously building local research capacity and providing actionable guidance for policymakers and practitioners. The program will also convene stakeholders to exchange insights and establish future research priorities.

According to program architects, the initiative addresses the need for evidence-based AI investment in low- and middle-income countries, ensuring technology deployment aligns with local development priorities and inclusive growth objectives.

Separately, the University of Cape Town will host a new African Hub for AI Safety, Security and Peace, becoming the 12th multidisciplinary AI research facility in a global network and the second such lab in South Africa. The hub receives support through the UK-Canada AI for Development programme operating across sub-Saharan Africa. The facility will focus on identifying and mitigating safety and security risks associated with AI systems, ensuring African contexts inform global AI governance discussions.

The Cape Town hub will build capacity for African researchers, policymakers, and communities to detect and respond to AI-related risks, while developing governance frameworks and technical tools adapted to African contexts. The facility will facilitate community engagement and co-design processes to ensure solutions reflect local priorities, while positioning African stakeholders in international AI policymaking forums.

The launch coincides with South Africa's G20 presidency priorities and the AI for Africa initiative, reinforcing continental leadership in responsible AI development.

UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan emphasized the programs' alignment with inclusive technology objectives. "AI has the power to fuel growth, build trust and transform lives – and every country should share in that," Narayan stated. "That's why we're backing African-led innovation that puts people first, tackles real-world challenges, and builds global resilience. By working with countries like South Africa, we're making AI safer, fairer and more inclusive – and helping communities shape the future on their terms."

Maggie Gorman Velez, Vice-President for Strategy, Regions and Policies at the International Development Research Centre, highlighted the importance of contextual research. "Artificial intelligence holds extraordinary potential, but only if the tools, knowledge and power to shape it are accessible to all – that includes contextually grounded research and evidence on what works and what does not," Velez said. "That is why IDRC is proud to be supporting this new evaluation work as part of our ongoing commitment to the responsible scaling of proven safe, inclusive, and locally relevant AI innovations."

George Richards, Director of Community Jameel, pointed to evidence generation as critical for maximizing AI impact. "AI has the potential to help tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges, but we need evidence of which AI solutions work effectively, safely and fairly in order to maximise its impact," Richards explained. "We are excited to be launching this new alliance to help generate the rigorous evidence we need and scale effective AI solutions to benefit communities around the world."

Alex Diaz, Head of AI for Social Good at Google.org, emphasized the urgency of impact assessment. "AI has great potential to benefit all people but we urgently need to study what works, what doesn't, and why if we are to realise this potential," Diaz noted.

The African Hub for AI Safety, Security and Peace will produce open-access research, develop risk detection tools in multiple African languages, and deliver training programs for students and policymakers. The AI4D Evaluation Partnership will generate evidence to guide responsible AI innovation, with particular focus on reducing bias, exclusion, and systemic harms in AI systems deployed across African markets.