Rwanda: The Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem will be observed from October 08, 2024 to October 09, 2024 at the Kigali Convention Centre, for Africa’s inaugural AI summit. For the next two months, Kigali will be the focal point as 1000 leaders from Global AI will be present there.
The event hosted by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda (C4IR Rwanda) in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF), is all set to advance an ambitious vision for Africa’s leadership in the age of AI.
The two-day summit will attract a diverse range of participants, that will include the heads of state, ministers, industry leaders, startups, investors, multi-lateral institutions, civil society and academic experts.
The participants will engage in a collaborative dialogue on AI’s transformative potential in shaping Africa’s future.
The summit will be based on the theme ‘AI and Africa’s Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa’s Workforce’. The high-level summit focuses on leveraging AI to boost the productivity of its youthful workforce, while unlocking new economic opportunities and foster inclusive growth on the African continent.
Notably, Africa is home to the fastest-growing workforce, which positions itself as a key player in the global AI agenda.
However, maximising the benefits of AI while mitigate its risks and will require multi-stakeholder engagement and inclusive dialogue.
The summit aims to promote an ambitious vision for Africa’s leadership in the AI era, focusing mainly on practical insights, collaboration and innovative AI applications.
During the summit, the participants will have the chance to engage with cutting-edge technologies and contribute to an actionable roadmap for the continent.
The ultimate goal of the summit is to turn the discussions into tangible actions that will positively impact Africa’s industries, economies, and societies.
According to the Agenda, the Summit will explore how AI can be leveraged to create inclusive economic opportunities, drive innovation and enhance workforce skills across Africa. It is structured around seven key thematic areas:
- People – Addressing jobs, skills, and talent mobility in the global AI economy.
- Infrastructure – Tackling barriers to adoption and laying the groundwork for the future.
- Data – Emphasising the strategic importance of adoption, equity, and sovereignty.
- AI Models – Identifying gaps and opportunities for inclusive development, with a focus on language, culture, and context.
- AI Applications – Promoting equitable, human-centric use cases to transform industries, economies, and societies.
- Entrepreneurship – Strengthening ecosystems of talent, knowledge, and capital to scale innovation-driven enterprises.
- Governance – Building trust and protecting citizens to foster investment, innovation, and development.
According to the C4IR Rwanda, “By 2030, AI stands to add $15 trillion to the global economy, and at least an additional 6 per cent to Africa’s GDP. Maximising the tremendous benefits will require leaders from Africa to navigate complex economic, social, and geostrategic dynamics. It will also require a shared vision for Africa’s leadership in the age of AI.”
The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda (C4IR Rwanda) helps stakeholders harness the potential of technological advancements to transform industries, economies and societies in an equitable and human-centred way.
As a global platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation, C4IR Rwanda explores exponential technologies and promotes their responsible adoption and application, leveraging a global network of 19 independent national and thematic centres.