Aim of the project
This project aims to examine the current state of representation of local African languages within the global AI ecosystem, to identify the challenges and to explore potential opportunities for AI in Africa.
Project summary
Artificial intelligence has significantly transformed the way businesses operate across all sectors, and natural language processing plays a crucial role in representing identity, observations and ideas, from high-level theories right through to the machine’s day-to-day functions. Many digital organisations have succeeded by collecting data in written, spoken and visual forms. However, most local African languages lack sufficient resources, preventing Africans from capitalising on the opportunities offered by AI. For Africa to participate in and benefit from the global AI ecosystem, policy-makers must take decisive action in the areas of human resource development, private sector engagement and the promotion of innovation. This study aims to examine the current state of representation of local African languages within the global AI ecosystem, to identify the challenges and to explore potential opportunities for AI in Africa.
Project leader: Natnael Tilahun
Natnael Tilahun is a well-rounded individual with extensive academic and professional experience in computer science and software engineering. He holds a BSc in Computer Science and IT, and an MSc in Software Engineering, specialising in computer vision using deep learning. Natnael has accumulated over four years of valuable professional experience, excelling in various roles and projects. His achievements have earned him recognition and awards, thereby cementing his reputation for exceptional problem-solving skills, creativity and leadership. Passionate about artificial intelligence, Natnael is dedicated to advancing the field and pursuing ambitious goals.
Team members:
Asrat Mulatu Beyene He obtained his master’s degree and PhD from Addis Ababa University, at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and as part of the PhD programme in Computer Science, respectively. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Addis Ababa University of Science and Technology.
His research focuses in particular on data science, secure distributed systems, and hardware and software co-design. He has published numerous conference proceedings and journal articles. In addition, he has been Head of ICT at the university since 2020 and is Chair of the Ethiopian chapter of the Internet Society.
Beakal Gizachew Assefa He obtained his PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from Koç University in 2019, where he was a teaching and research assistant. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Software Engineering at the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa University. He is also Head of the Artificial Intelligence Programme. He has published high-impact articles in internationally renowned journals and has served as chair and member of the technical programme committee for several international conferences. He was also recognised by Elsevier as an Outstanding Reviewer of the Year in 2017. He is also chair of the Ethiopian national working group responsible for developing artificial intelligence policy.
Institution
AASTU was founded in 2011 and the first intake of students (2,000) was admitted in November 2011. Located in the north-eastern industrial corridor of Addis Ababa, AASTU is one of Ethiopia’s youngest and most dynamic national universities of science and technology, where cutting-edge scientific research, technological innovation and teaching excellence have flourished over the past ten years. AASTU’s vision is to become an internationally recognised centre for science and technology that will have a significant national and continental impact by 2030
- To provide world-class education and training programmes in priority areas of national research and in key economic sectors; ;
- To carry out high-impact research aimed at solving problems in order to support the productivity and competitiveness of local industries and commercial organisations; ;
- To serve as a centre of excellence for technological innovation and entrepreneurship; ;
- To improve the technical and managerial capabilities of local industries and businesses.
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