Welcome to AI for Local Impact, a podcast exploring how artificial intelligence is shaping development through real-world work supported by the AI4D programme.
Each episode goes beyond hype to examine practical uses of AI across the Global South. You’ll hear from researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and builders working close to the ground.
This work is produced by the Global Center on AI Governance and funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Learn more at ai4d.ai.
Who gets to be heard in the digital age?
In this episode of AI for Local Impact, we speak with Professor Vukosi Marivate to explore why language inclusion is central to responsible AI on the continent. While most AI systems are built in dominant global languages, Africa’s rich linguistic diversity remains underrepresented in digital platforms and machine learning models.
The African Languages Lab at the University of Pretoria, is a new initiative working to protect, promote, and digitize African languages through AI research, open data development, and capacity building. The Lab is building a future where African languages are not left behind.
This podcast is part of the AI4D program, supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
12 May 2026
Ep 6: LLM's - All or Nothing for Africa
Should Africa go all in on large language models, or is that a bet the continent can't afford to make?
This episode brings you a spirited debate on one of the most pressing questions in African AI development: Should LLMs be the cornerstone of the continent's AI strategy, or is diversifying into other technologies the smarter play?
On one side, advocates argue that LLMs are a historic opportunity for Africa to stop being a passive consumer of foreign-built technology and start encoding its own languages, cultures, and wisdom into the tools that will shape its future. On the other, skeptics warn that going "all or nothing" on LLMs risks sidelining the computer vision, predictive analytics, and diagnostic AI that could save lives today.
We invite you to share you thoughts in the comments!
This podcast was made possible by funding from Canada’s International Development Research Center and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office.
28 Apr 2026
Ep 5: Scaling AI Responsibly: AfriAI’s Vision for an Inclusive Future
In this episode of AI for Local Impact, we head to Tanzania to explore how the AfriAI Lab at the University of Dodoma is advancing responsible, inclusive AI across sectors such as health, agriculture, and education. We speak with Mohamedi Mjahidi about the lab’s vision, flagship projects, and why Africa must shape its own AI future.
AfriAI's work focuses on developing innovative AI solutions, and strengthening the capacity of a public African university to lead cutting-edge research and teaching. With a strong commitment to gender inclusion and local empowerment, the lab is building the next generation of African AI innovators while ensuring systems are equitable and community-centered.
This podcast is part of the AI4D program, supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
14 Apr 2026
Ep 4: Regulate or Innovate? The AI Debate
In this special episode, members of the AI4D Network debate on one of the biggest questions in AI today:
Does regulation hinder AI innovation?
One side says yes, regulation slows discovery, burdens new players, and lets bureaucracy win over breakthroughs. The other side pushes back, without rules, there's no trust, no accountability, and ultimately, no adoption.
Both sides made compelling arguments. Only one can win. Which side won the debate for you? Share in the comments.
This podcast was made possible by funding from Canada’s International Development Research Center and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office.
31 Mar 2026
Ep 3: How One Center Is Shaping Burkina Faso's AI Future
In this episode of AI for Local Impact, Prof. Tegawendé Bissyandé explores how the Centre of Interdisciplinary Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Development (CITADEL) in Burkina Faso is building the foundations of a thriving AI ecosystem.
From launching the country’s first Master’s programme in AI to advancing innovation in health, agriculture, and local languages, CITADEL is addressing critical skills gaps while shaping pathways for ethical and sustainable AI development.
Prof. Bissyandé shares insights on strengthening talent pipelines, fostering collaboration between academia and innovators, and what it takes to grow locally grounded AI ecosystems in Africa.
This episode highlights how strategic investment in education and partnerships can unlock long-term impact across a country
This podcast was made possible by funding from Canada’s International Development Research Center and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office.
16 Mar 2026
Ep 2: Ghana's Responsible AI Lab Story
In this episode, Professor Jerry John Kponyo introduces us to the Responsible AI Lab (RAIL) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. RAIL isn't your typical research lab. It's a multidisciplinary hub where AI meets real-world challenges in agriculture, health, energy, and education with responsibility baked in from the start.
Prof. Kponyo takes us behind their work running coding programmes for girls and training the next generation of AI researchers at PhD level. It's a model that thinks long-term about who gets to shape AI on the continent.
The AI for Local Impact Podcast is part of the AI4D programme, supported by IDRC and FCDO.
3 Mar 2026
Ep 1: Inside Makerere's Centre for AI
In Episode 1 of the AI For Local Impact Podcast, Dr. Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende takes us inside the Makerere University Centre for AI in Uganda. She walks us through some of their flagship projects which include computer vision models that detect crop diseases in the field and speech recognition systems that deliver agricultural guidance in local languages.
We also explore how the lab is investing in the next generation embedding students in research projects that ensure that the AI systems coming out of Uganda are contextually grounded, community-informed, and built to last.
AI for Local Impact is part of the AI4D programme, supported by Canada's IDRC and the UK's FCDO.
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