ZINDI, as a co-founding member, has announced the launch of the South African Artificial Intelligence Association (SAAIA), a new initiative aimed at encouraging stakeholders to embrace AI as a vital tool for education and social impact. The association believes that with proper guidance and institutional support, AI can significantly enhance economic growth, trade, investment, equality, and inclusivity in South Africa and across the continent.
The Founding Advisory Board of SAAIA consists of prominent entities such as law firms Michalsons and Webber Wentzel, the Western Cape Government, Tshwane University of Technology, the Technology Innovation Agency, and several AI startups including Zindi.
Dr. Nick Bradshaw, co-founder of AI Media Africa and SAAIA, brings 25 years of experience in enterprise collaboration software and cloud platforms. He stated, ‘AI Media Africa’s research has shown that AI and related automation technologies have an impact on over 120 traditional industries globally.’
Celina Lee, CEO of Zindi and an advisory board member of SAAIA, emphasised the importance of adopting responsible AI to ensure South Africa’s economic development and upliftment of its people. Lee mentioned that SAAIA’s focus areas would include regulation, economic growth, trade, investment, fairness, equality, and inclusivity in the AI space.
Among the founding members of SAAIA are renowned South African institutions and international development organisations like GIZ, the German Agency for International Cooperation.
SAAIA’s vision is to guide stakeholders in achieving their objectives related to AI adoption and impact. Individual membership to SAAIA is free and provides members with access to resources, insights, and news throughout the year. Additionally, members will receive a discount on tickets for the AI Expo scheduled for November 2023 (more information available at https://aiexpoafrica.com/).
Zindi CEO Lee expressed enthusiasm about the launch, saying, ‘Our community at Zindi comprises 65,000 data scientists from over 50 countries on the continent, along with numerous groups, societies, businesses, and partner organisations working in the AI space. The introduction of SAAIA holds great promise for bringing all these groups together to explore new ways of collaboration and uplift the AI sector in South Africa and Africa as a whole.’
To mark the formal launch event of SAAIA, Zindi ambassadors will be celebrating in Pretoria on July 19 2023.