President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading a South African delegation to Silicon Valley in the USA from today, 15 November, to expand knowledge about artificial intelligence (AI) and to investigate possible investment and collaboration opportunities.
The working visit runs until 21 November and brings together representatives from government, business, academia and research institutions. Prof. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, is part of the delegation.
According to the Presidency, the visit will help South Africa better understand international developments in the field of AI and determine how the technology can be responsibly used in the country's economy and public sector.
The programme includes talks with technology companies, investors, researchers and academics. The delegation will be at Stanford University on 17 November, where discussions will be held on matters including AI research, technology and the economy.
The programme also includes visits to Alphabet and Google, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks and Microsoft's experience centre. The discussions will focus among other things on AI applications, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.
On 18 November a working session will be held in San Jose themed "South Africa and the Future of AI". It will address among other things the infrastructure needed to expand AI in South Africa, its use in government and the security risks that come with it.
A further focus is to position South Africa as a possible AI hub on the African continent. During the South Africa AI Opportunity meeting, participants will look at the investment, data centres, computing capacity and energy supply needed to develop a competitive AI economy.
Nzimande says the visit offers an opportunity to strengthen South Africa's capabilities in the field of AI, expand international research collaboration and support local innovation.
According to him, the digital economy is an important strategic pillar of the country's Ten-Year Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (2022–2032), with artificial intelligence as one of the department's priorities.
The delegation will also look at the possible application of AI in areas including health, education, criminal justice, public administration and government service delivery.
The Presidency says the visit will help shape South Africa's approach to AI development and regulation, with attention to data protection, digital sovereignty and responsible use of the technology.
Source: The Presidency; Department of Science, Technology and Innovation
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
