To: ALL media

Press statement

Thursday, 12 December 2024

With South Africa currently holding the G20 presidency, African artificial intelligence (AI) experts at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have put up their hands to contribute to the G20 agenda of addressing global economic challenges.

CSIR researchers, academics and industry leaders made this commitment last week at the Science Forum South Africa (SFSA) 2024, which was hosted by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

CSIR technologist Laing Lourens had moderated a discussion around the Deep Learning Indaba, a grassroots AI and machine learning movement that now has a presence in 47 African countries in the form of sub-communities called Deep Learning IndabaX (DLIX). “The movement is led by young people pushing for African AI to address global challenges like agriculture, health, climate change, economic inequality and youth development,” said Lourens, indicating that this push aligns with the G20 agenda.

“Africa has a young population, as compared to Europe and other parts of the world where there are ageing populations,” said Lourens. “This means that in 10 years’ time, those young Africans are going to be global leaders.”

He said the CSIR alumni played a critical role in founding the Deep Learning Indaba, and that the CSIR continues to support local DLIX activities. Lourens is involved in organising DLIX South Africa and has brought the CSIR-hosted National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System’s Centre for High Performance Computing (NICIS CHPC) on board under the leadership of Mervyn Christoffels.

“Successful African AI community groups like Masakhane, SisonkeBiotik and Ro'ya-CV4Africa have emerged from the Deep Learning Indaba network and are driving critical technologies on the continent,” said Lourens.

“All of these organisations are regularly publishing new research in peer-reviewed journals and growing businesses – which is amazing for grassroots non-profits.”

“It is now also time for this uniquely African innovation to include grassroots communities on other continents,” said Lourens, speaking on behalf of the AI experts who participated in the SFSA 2024 discussion. The experts included the CSIR’s Antony Cooper.

Lourens reiterated therefore that as future leaders in this critical field for sustainable development, African AI communities and experts linked to the CSIR are ready to contribute to the G20 agenda.

The CSIR also participated in several other discussions and exhibits at the SFSA 2024 where AI technology has the potential to solve challenges, including health strategies for zoonotic threats and pandemics, hydrogen supply chains, transboundary water cooperation, sustainable food systems, future manufacturing, text and speech technologies for literacy and personalised chemotherapies for African patients.

-ENDS-

Issued by CSIR Strategic Communication

Enquiries:

Contact details:

Phetolo Phatsibi, Media Practitioner

PPhatsibi@csir.co.za

Contact: 081 396 8871

About the CSIR:

The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development, to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. For more information, visit www.csir.co.za.

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