Kenya has taken a significant step forward in building a responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem with the introduction of the UK-Kenya AI Challenge Fund. This initiative, led by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), aims to promote ethical AI development and strengthen international partnerships.
ACTS, a renowned research organization dedicated to advancing sustainable development through science, technology, and innovation policies, is at the forefront of this groundbreaking collaboration between Kenya and the United Kingdom. The fund is designed to enhance Kenya’s AI ecosystem by supporting projects that align with the country’s national AI strategy.
The targeted sectors for this initiative include healthcare, agriculture, education, and public service delivery, with a strong emphasis on safety, ethics, equity, and inclusion. During the fund’s launch, Ali Hussein Kassim, Board Chair at the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), emphasized the initiative’s dual objectives of policy alignment and institutional capacity building.
Through this fund, our objective is clear: to strengthen UK-Kenya partnerships around AI to build Kenya’s AI ecosystem with a dual approach – policy and systems alignment on one hand, and institutional capacity building on the other.
The UK-Kenya AI Challenge Fund also prioritizes the development of ethical frameworks to ensure responsible innovation while empowering Kenyan institutions to enhance their AI expertise. This dual focus aims to position Kenya as a leader in AI research and innovation across Africa.
Furthermore, the fund is dedicated to addressing pressing societal challenges and fostering innovative, impactful solutions. The initiative underscores the importance of inclusive growth and international collaboration. The UK-Kenya AI Challenge Fund not only strengthens Kenya’s AI capabilities but also serves as a model for sustainable AI development in Africa and beyond, paving the way for a future where technology benefits all sectors of society.
