Today, 30 November 2022, our country launches the AI Institute of South Africa (AIISA).

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, the University of Johannesburg, and the Tshwane University of Technology created AIISA. It was founded upon the vision of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (PC4IR) articulated in the Commission’s report on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

AIISA positions itself as a supporting innovation engine for the public and private sectors. It also seeks to generate knowledge and digital applications to position South Africa as a competitive player in the global AI economy.

The Institute argues that Al is the most transformative tool of our era because it’s part of our everyday life (across multiple sectors) and enhances production and service delivery at an unprecedented rate.

While AIISA acknowledges that Al will probably replace some jobs, it also points out that the technology can create new industries and reduce unemployment. Plus, they believe AI motivates South Africa to re-skill its labour force to prepare for a digital future where human-and-AI collaboration will be standard.

To watch the launch event online, sign up here.

Here’s Cabinet’s statement about AIISA:

“The first-of-its-kind institute ushers a new era in South Africa’s digital transformation efforts. It will stimulate economic growth, address unemployment and create a positive social impact. The AI Institute will expand the teaching of robotics and coding currently being offered in public schools. The institute is designed to ensure that government academia and industry work together in a unique partnership to apply their collective knowledge, expertise and experience to implement coordinated solutions to some of South Africa and Africa’s most critical and long-standing challenges, and to take the continent forward. Government’s focus on digital skills includes creating platforms to support and promote the ability of youth, and small and medium enterprises, in particular start-ups, to develop digital content.”