Rebecca Ryakitimbo

The Smart Africa Secretariat, together with FAIR Forward, has established an AI Working Group to develop an "Artificial Intelligence for Africa" blueprint that identifies potential solutions to be implemented in the Smart Africa Alliance. The blueprint defines a roadmap for Member States to strive for a more open, inclusive, and sustainable approach to AI while being compliant and competitive with international standards. The Smart Africa Secretariat has entered the "pilot level" phase, providing technical support to Member States in developing their own National AI Strategy, developing concrete pilot projects, and organizing capacity building workshops based on the "Artificial Intelligence for Africa" blueprint. The Innovate Africa Challenge is planned to provide an opportunity for startups and entrepreneurs to develop innovative ideas on how AI can be leveraged to address specific development challenges in Africa, with the first edition implemented together with FAIR Forward and focusing on "AI for climate change." The objectives of the session include raising awareness about the challenge, opportunities of AI to mitigate and adapt to climate change in Africa and gaining potential additional sponsors from the private sector.