The AI Evidence Alliance for Social Impact (AEASI), a GBP2.75 million (US$3.7 million) initiative to advance the evidence-informed deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for social good in Africa and Asia, has been launched.
Formed by Community Jameel, in partnership with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and IDinsight, the AEASI is part of a wider US$7.5 million collaboration with Google.org to support AI impact evaluations.
It was announced in Cape Town at the AI for Africa Conference, hosted by the South African G20 presidency, the African Union and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and will bring together AI solution developers, policymakers, civil society and social science researchers to fund research to generate evidence on the social benefits and harms of AI solutions in Africa and Asia, identify where AI can drive greater impact, champion locally-led research and scale effective solutions.
“AI has the power to fuel growth, build trust and transform lives – and every country should share in that. 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,” said Kanishka Narayan, British minister for AI and online safety.