Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜𝟰𝗗 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝘁 @𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗟𝗦𝗘) 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀. ◾️ On the panel exploring AI's impact on the quality of jobs, Sabina Dewan of JustJobs Network pointed out that work carries rights and entitlements, opens paths to economic mobility, and gives people a sense of purpose and any real conversation about AI's effect on working lives has to account for all three. JustJobs Network brings a research and evidence lens on AI’s impacts on worker wellbeing and prosperity through the Asia AI4D Policy Observatory, while also leading the FutureWORKS Global Knowledge Hub, which examines how AI, demographic change and climate change are reshaping labour markets across the Global South. ◾️ In the session on national perspectives on quantitative and qualitative impacts around the world, Haroon Bhorat of the African Growth and AI Network (AGAIN) project shared that where informal work is the norm, entire categories of jobs go missing from the data altogether. ◾️ At the Forum, a new report co-authored by Prof. Fola Adeleke, PI at the African Observatory on Responsible AI, was announced: 𝘼𝙣 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙄 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖, examining strategies and publicly available drafts from 16 African countries to highlight what governments are prioritising, the commitments they are making, and how ready those commitments are for implementation. ◾️ Also in the room: Dr. Pria Chetty, Principal Investigator of the Just AI Center hosted by Research ICT Africa, representing one part of a much broader African policy research community; Bomi Okuyiga, Senior Program Officer for South and Southeast Asia at International Development Research Centre (IDRC); and Dr. Barbara Glover, Principal Investigator of Advancing Responsible Artificial Intelligence in African Union Member States implemented by AUDA NEPAD. Conversations like these are what it will take to prepare for AI's reshaping of work at the highest levels, and across every region grappling with it on its own terms. International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - Research, Science and Technology Global Research and Technology Development portfolio

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲? If you're heading to FIFAfrica this year, we'd love for you to join us the day before for a Day Zero regional dialogue exploring how we can build AI governance frameworks that respond to Africa's diverse local realities. As AI continues to shape economies, public services, rights and societies across the continent, we need governance approaches that are not only rights-based and inclusive, but also grounded in the contexts in which AI is being developed and deployed. Together with Digital Action and Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) we are convening stakeholders from across Africa for a day of focused discussion exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping AI governance across the continent, with participants working towards identifying practical strategies and an action plan for advancing meaningful, context-responsive AI governance in Africa. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲-𝘂𝗽 🔹 Bulanda T Nkhowani— Digital Action 🔹 Dr. Melissa Omino — CIPIT 🔹 Michael Aboneka — Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria 🔹 Selamawit Engida Abdella — Global Center on AI Governance 🔹 Richard Kiarie — National Treasury, Government of Kenya 🔹 Dr Emmanuel Edet — National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) 🔹 Dr Suraj Juddoo — Middlesex University Mauritius 🔹 Dr Eileen I Carter — South African Human Rights Commission 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀; 📅 29 September 2026 🕘 09:00–16:00 MUT 📍 The Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Balaclava, Mauritius 💬 In person | Day Zero ahead of FIFAfrica Slots are very limited. If you are already planning to attend FIFAfrica, we invite you to express your interest in joining this conversation. 👉 Submit your Expression of Interest: https://lnkd.in/ezafk565

September is Deaf Awareness Month. At HAIDI, this is not a date on a calendar. It is the reason our work exists. Across Africa, Deaf communities have full, rich languages of their own. Kenyan Sign Language is one of them. What is missing is not language. It is infrastructure. Data, tools and technology built with Deaf communities, not around them. That is the gap we are working to close. It is why we brought together Deaf community members, KSL interpreters, linguists and technologists for the KSL Innovators Workshop earlier this month. It is why every dataset, every annotation guideline and every evaluation method we build starts with the people who will use it. Deaf Awareness Month is a reminder to keep that commitment visible, not just in September, but in every decision that follows. To the Deaf community members who have shaped our work so far, thank you. To everyone else, this is a good month to ask where inclusion is missing from your own work and what it would take to close that gap? Lilian D. A. Wanzare, PhD.,Next Step Foundation, Responsible AI Lab | RAIL, Dr. Emmy Chirchir (PhD) MBS, Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D). #HAIDI #DisabilityInclusion #PolicyAndAdvocacy #DigitalInclusion

🆕 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 | 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡) Today, at the The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) School of Economics and Political Science's 2026 Global Forum for AI and the Social Sciences LSE Global Forum on AI, the AI4D programme announced the launch of the 𝘼𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙄 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 (𝘼𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉), a new four-year, pan-African research initiative examining how AI is reshaping economies, labour markets, and livelihoods across the continent. As AI transforms how businesses, workers, and economies operate, the need for evidence rooted in African realities has never been more urgent. AGAIN will generate that evidence on AI adoption, productivity, economic inclusion, and the distribution of AI's benefits and risks with particular attention to those who often sit at the margins of these conversations such as informal workers, women, and youth. The initiative brings together researchers and institutions across South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, producing comparable, high-quality data that African policymakers can draw on as they navigate decisions on AI investment, regulation, skills, and responsible deployment. And it does not stop there. AGAIN also lays the groundwork for connecting with research efforts in Latin America and Asia, contributing to a more globally grounded picture of how AI is changing work and economies worldwide. Jointly supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Global Research and Technology Development portfolio. 🔗 Learn more about AGAIN: https://lnkd.in/efSX2-hg

🆕 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 | 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡) We are pleased to see AI4D continuing to contribute to the growing global evidence base on AI, work, and economic transformation. At this week's @The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Global Forum for AI and the Social Sciences, the African Growth and AI Network (AGAIN) is among the initiatives being spotlighted, a flagship AI4D project bringing together leading research institutions across South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda. Through coordinated, multi-country research, AGAIN is generating open datasets and policy-relevant evidence on how AI is reshaping labour markets, productivity, and economic inclusion across the continent. 🔗 Learn more about AGAIN: https://lnkd.in/eRKTf9BC International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - Research, Science and Technology Global Research and Technology Development portfolio

We are on a mission to democratise AI and empower over 1 billion Africans through inclusive, open-source AI tools built by and for the continent. As our funding portfolio grows, we need the finance and grants engine behind it to be just as solid — so the Masakhane Research Foundation is looking for a Finance and Grants Officer to join our team! About the Role Working under the technical guidance of the Senior Finance Officer and the Senior Grants Manager, you will process transactions, maintain financial and grant records, coordinate routine compliance, and track budgets and grant obligations. The role is the operational link between Finance, Grants, Programme, Partnerships and Community teams, and works directly with grantees and implementing partners. Key Details Location: Kenya - Remote Contract: Full-time Remote Setup Support How to Apply Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage early submissions. Submit your application detailing your relevant finance and grants administration experience. Please note: this position is based in Kenya. We welcome applications from candidates already based in Kenya with the legal right to work in the country. We are unable to provide relocation assistance or sponsor work authorisation for this role. Apply now! https://lnkd.in/dvNmpRVk Masakhane