Connect with us

Tech

Artificial Intelligence research hub arrives Africa; Ghana is first home

Google is getting ready to launch a new artificial intelligence research centre in Africa, the company has announced. The lab will be located in Accra, Ghana, and will launch “later this year”, according to a post on the company’s blog

Published

on

Google is getting ready to launch a new artificial intelligence research centre in Africa, the company has announced. The lab will be located in Accra, Ghana, and will launch “later this year”, according to a post on the company’s blog.

In announcing the new research centre, the company explained, “AI has great potential to positively impact the world, and more so if the world is well represented in the development of new AI technologies.”

The company also noted the growing activity around machine learning on the continent through events like Data Science Africa 2017 in Tanzania and 2017 Deep Learning Indaba in South Africa, and highlighted its support of more than 60 tech startups through its Launchpad Accelerator Africa program.

The new AI R&D lab could play an important role in Google’s overall business as the company continues to intensify its focus on artificial intelligence technology, which it has looked to as a key market differentiator for its recent hardware devices.

The announcement also reflects a broader enthusiasm about AI technology, with other major firms like Qualcomm and Samsung also having recently announced new AI research centres around the world.

Google’s Accra AI Center will be headed by research scientist Moustapha Cisse, and the company is currently recruiting more talent ahead of the center’s opening.

Tech

Microsoft launches Season 4 of coding competition for African university students

Published

on

The Microsoft Africa Development Centre’s (ADC) Game of Learners (GOL), has launched the Season 4 of its Coding Competition for university students across selected African countries.

The GOL initiative, according to Ruth Ferland, Senior Program Manager at ADC, and the founder of the Game of Learners Program in a statement on Monday, will provide an opportunity for African university students who aspiring software engineers and solution builders, to improve their technical and coding abilities while creating solutions to current challenges facing the continent and the world.

In this year’s competition, participants will be working to develop possible technology solutions that can address different health challenges, including how to improve healthcare service provision in their localities or other parts of the world, she said.

The program runs as a 5-week hackathon with teams captained by Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors crafting the innovations while receiving technical training from Microsoft’s professionals.

“Since we launched Game of Learners four years ago, we have seen incredible development in the learner’ skills through each season as they create incredibly clever solutions to some of Africa’s pressing problems using Microsoft technology,” Ferland said.

“The students will benefit from the instruction of 32 coaches and more than 20 advisors who will guide them through the process of learning new technologies and building their solutions.”

“At the end of the season, the winning team will be eligible for awards, including collaboration with GOL Season 4 partners to advance their solution and entry into the Microsoft Imagine Cup, where they will present their innovation on a global stage,” she said.

Continue Reading

Tech

Critical digital-skill gap hindering Morocco’s drive to be Africa’s Tech destination hub, experts say

Published

on

Participants at the ongoing Huawei Talk currently ongoing in Casablanca, Morocco, has blamed a 15-year gap in the country’s digital strategy as an hindrance to its ambitions of becoming a regional tech hub.

The keynote speaker at the event, Nabil Ouchagour, Huawei’s Chief Brand Officer, in his speech, argued that the lack of qualified labor is one of four major challenges facing Morocco on its journey to becoming a digital nation.

“While Morocco is currently on the run to become a regional tech hub, the country lags behind in terms of qualified labor,” the Huawei executive said on Saturday.

The event which tech brings experts to deliberate on key issues facing Morocco’s transition to a digital economy, are deliberating on Morocco’s critical digital-skill gap which is seen as an emerging core challenge facing the country’s ambitions to host tech-related business activities.

“In many universities, the skills that are being taught will be obsolete soon,” Ouchagour noted, suggesting that Morocco’s digital-skill gap is the core challenge facing the country’s ambitions to host tech-related business activities.

“Developing connectivity, data treatment capability, decarbonization are equally crucial to support this transition,” he added.

Citing research commissioned by Huawei in 2021, the executive argued that Morocco needs to focus on adapting its education system to the fast-moving digital world.

“The country should equally focus on training individuals capable of adapting and acquiring new skills as they enter the job market.”

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Sports7 hours ago

Kenyan marathoner, Hellen Obiri, breaks event record at United Airlines meet

Kenyan two-time world 5000m champion, Hellen Obiri, on Sunday, broke the United Airlines NYC Half record in New York City,...

VenturesNow8 hours ago

Ghana’s finance minister, Ken Ofori, to meet Chinese officials over debt restructuring

Ghana’s finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta will meet Chinese officials on Wednesday to discuss a proposed restructuring of Ghana’s debt, a...

VenturesNow8 hours ago

Zambian authorities show concern over market abuses in energy sector. Here’s why

Zambian authorities are concerned about market abuses and social injustices in the energy sector, specifically regarding renewable energy technologies. The...

Strictly Personal8 hours ago

The electorate and governance in the Ghanaian political system, By Michael Akeno

Abraham Lincoln, a one-time great President of America, made the follow­ing landmark statement: “Government of The People, By The People,...

Tech8 hours ago

Microsoft launches Season 4 of coding competition for African university students

The Microsoft Africa Development Centre’s (ADC) Game of Learners (GOL), has launched the Season 4 of its Coding Competition for...

Metro8 hours ago

UN report estimates 43,000 died in Somali drought in 2022

A new report released on Monday by the United Nations has estimated that at least 43,000 people died in Somalia’s...

Metro9 hours ago

Gunmen kill nine Chinese nationals at Central African Republic mine

Armed gunmen have killed nine Chinese nationals and wounded two at a gold mining site in the Chimbolo region of...

Culture12 hours ago

South African model, Faith Nketsi, cries out after being labelled ‘non-marriage material’

South African super model, dancer and media personality, Faith Nketsi, has cried out over social media taunts that she is...

Politics15 hours ago

South African police arrest 87 persons ahead of planned protest by opposition party, EFF

Reports from South Africa on Monday morning say security forces have arrested 87 persons across the country over public violence ahead...

Strictly Personal1 day ago

As Nigeria’s judges get set to begin voting, By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

This week, the opening salvo will be fired to signal the onset of the final round of voting in Nigeria’s...

Trending