By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Arrangements have been concluded for the 2023 annual Google Africa Internet Academy to be hosted by University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Centre for Data and Digital Communication and the Artificial Institute of Intelligence.
Taking place next week from 11 to 12 September, the two-day event will be hosted in collaboration with the UJ Business School (JBS) and will focus on artificial intelligence (AI), how AI works and what it does.
The 2023 edition which is the fifth in series, will bring together business and technology leaders from across Africa to discuss the latest trends in technology policy and regulation and provide valuable content and opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and other target groups in technology and related fields.
The workshops will examine what economic opportunities AI presents for the continent to enable current and future generations to live in a more prosperous, healthy, secure and sustainable world.
“The increased focus on artificial intelligence (AI) has fast-tracked the need for conversations between all stakeholders to look at the benefits of AI as well as the policy guardrails to mitigate risks,” says Google SA country director, Dr Alistair Mokoena in a statement.
Other topics to be discussed include collection and use of personal information, people’s ability to understand and control how their data is used, as well as the impact of data-driven technologies on people and society.
“Our university has been at the cutting edge of technology and has, on many instances, been driving innovative advancements,” says UJ’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi.
“As a leading company in AI, Google’s strategy is closely aligned with UJ’s strategic objective of innovation for societal impact and sustainability. We are thrilled to be hosting the fifth edition of this event, and we hope it will provide valuable insights and opportunities in the field,” Mpedi added.
“The University of Johannesburg’s pioneering work and agility in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) space makes the institution a valuable partner for collaborative initiatives in this field. The Google Africa Internet Academy is one such collaboration, and we look forward to this event at UJ,” says Mokoena.
The first Google Africa Internet Academy was held at Wits University in 2016.
Strathmore University in Mauritius and US International University (USIU-Africa) hosted the second and third events in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
The fourth was recently held in Kenya in May this year.
