I am a Professor of Computer Science (in machine learning and robotics) at Wits University, where I run the most research active AI lab in Africa (the RAIL laboratory – www.raillab.org), and am the founding Director of the MIND Institute (www.wits.ai), which was launched at the end of 2024 is the only AI institute in Africa dedicated to the development of AI itself, and ensuring that Africa does not just remain a consumer of AI developed in the rest of the world. This already involves 36 Wits researchers from diverse fields ranging from computer science to neuroanatomy and philosophy, and recently received funding of $1m from Google.org. In addition to the core AI research, we have also been very active in multiple applications areas, such as healthcare and business, and recently launched a project supporting African musicians in exploring novel uses of AI. We are also active in the policy space, with some of our Fellows (including myself) being on government advisory panels.

I was additionally a co-founder of the Deep Learning Indaba (https://deeplearningindaba.com/), which is a pan-African movement to strengthen African AI, and has become the largest AI summer school in the world (about 1300 attendees at this year’s event in Rwanda), with satellite events in 47 African countries. I was also a co-founder of the startup Lelapa AI (https://lelapa.ai/), dedicated to building AI for Africans by Africans.

In 2025, I was made a Fellow of the prestigious Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, in the area of Learning in Machines and Brains (this group includes the three “godfathers” of modern AI, https://cifar.ca/research-programs/learning-in-machines-brains/). I am the only African to have received this honour. Most recently, I was announced by TIME as one of the 100 most influential people in AI globally in the “Thinkers” category (https://time.com/collections/time100-ai-2025/), and one of the only Africans on the list, for my work in building the African AI ecosystem, and ensuring that Africa is contributing to the global development and discussion around AI.

Vision: I believe this is a pivotal moment for South Africa and Africa. Truly embracing AI, not just in a superficial way, is really the only way that I can see us scaling economically the way that we should, through startups and new innovations. If we are an active participant in the development of this technology, then the benefits to our society will be immense, but if not, we run the very real risk of being completely dominated and exploited by foreign powers. I dream of large numbers of South Africans working in different areas of AI, and using this to support and empower their communities.