Investing in AI skills supports regional tech development and helps African nations prepare for a digital future. This positions them to tackle critical challenges such as healthcare access, climate adaptation, and education. It also directly addresses the region’s high youth unemployment.

Google announced, on October 28, a $5.8 million commitment to advance artificial intelligence (AI) skilling initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa. This new investment will empower people and organizations to leverage AI for economic development and social impact, helping to prepare the workforce for an increasingly AI-powered world.

According to Matt Brittin, Google’s President of Business & Operations for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, this initiative aligns with Google’s nearly two-decade-long commitment to supporting Africa’s digital transformation. Speaking about AI's economic potential, he highlighted Google's Digital Opportunity for Africa report, which projects AI could add as much as $30 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP by 2030. However, achieving this requires equipping people with both technical skills and a broader understanding of AI’s societal impacts.

Targeted AI training could significantly impact job creation and skills development, essential for meeting the needs of the growing workforce. The International Labour Organization reveals in its Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 Sub-Saharan Africa that youth unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 8.9% in 2023. By equipping young people with AI expertise, this initiative can help reduce unemployment by opening up new career paths in a growing field, boosting employability in various sectors.

The initiative targets key sectors to strengthen AI proficiency. It will train individuals across industries to boost productivity, introduce teenagers to AI safety for responsible usage, equip non-profits to enhance social impact, and enable public sector workers to use AI in public services and policymaking. This investment aims to expand the region's technological capabilities, promoting a skilled and responsible AI-driven workforce.

Google’s Africa AI initiatives also include research and development centers in Accra, Ghana, and Nairobi, Kenya, focused on creating localized solutions. The Nairobi Product Development Center has developed innovations like voice search in African languages and an HTML5 gaming platform designed for low-bandwidth devices.

This commitment by Google underscores Africa’s potential to lead in AI innovation, with a focus on sustainable development, social impact, and economic growth. As more people acquire AI skills and local innovation accelerates, Google envisions a future where AI empowers communities across Africa to thrive.

Hikmatu Bilali