Google pledges $37M to boost AI in Africa, supporting research, startups, and local languages with a new hub in Ghana.

Google announced a $37 million package on Thursday to promote AI development in Africa, promising to fund regional AI research and initiatives ranging from crop monitoring to language-specific technology adaptation. The US tech giant's promise also included initiatives to support entrepreneurs in the fields of education and health.

James Manyika, a senior vice president at the corporation, stated during the opening of an AI community center in Accra, Ghana, that some of the most significant and inspirational work in AI today is being done in Africa. The center will serve as the hub for AI literacy programming and training, cooperation, and experimentation.

One of the flagship projects that have been announced is the AI Collaborative for Food Security; this will work to connect researchers and nonprofits to develop technologies to help crops become more resilient and to detect hunger early, or to help smallholder farmers make decisions. The project aims to ensure resilient African food systems on economic and climatic shocks. In the continent, other farmers who have already adopted AI include those in the neighboring country, Nigeria, which is blessed with a successful local technology industry.

Local agri-tech businesses have emerged to keep an eye on temperature and humidity on poultry farms or soil conditions for crops. Additionally, Google plans to introduce a funding platform to support AI-driven businesses in the fields of education, healthcare, and agriculture. Through its philanthropic arm, Google pledged $7 million to support the development of AI education programs in Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.