Supporting the future of AI Research in Africa and globally

Across Africa, communities are reimagining how AI can solve problems that matter. From climate resilience and agriculture to healthcare, education and local language access, the continent is already home to some of the most exciting work shaping the future of Research and AI.

With a young, fast-growing population and a culture of creative problem-solving, Africa brings essential perspectives to a technology that is rapidly reshaping the world. As AI continues to evolve, it is critical that African researchers, like our Google Research teams in Kenya and Ghana, developers, and organizations are equipped to lead.

That’s why this moment, driven by the continent's growing AI momentum, is so important — and why Google is deepening our commitment to Africa’s AI future. Today in Accra, we announced a wave of AI support across Africa, representing $37 million in cumulative contributions — including previously committed but unannounced funding — to research, talent development, and infrastructure.

Advancing Research with African Context and Global Reach

At the heart of our new efforts is the AI Community Center in Accra. This space will serve as a hub for learning, experimentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. It will host technical workshops, research exchanges, and community events that bring together students, developers, entrepreneurs, artists, and civil society to explore how AI can respond to African needs.

Impactful research starts with the communities it seeks to serve. Our latest initiatives, including $25 million from Google.org toward the AI Collaborative: Food Security, will help further that. This effort supports African researchers and nonprofits developing AI tools that improve hunger forecasting, strengthen crop resilience, and support smallholder farmers with real-time, actionable insights.

Language inclusion is also central to responsible AI development. Google.org is supporting the Masakhane African Languages AI Hub with $3 million to expand research and open-source tools across more than 40 African languages. By creating datasets, translation models, and voice technologies, this work is helping ensure that African languages are represented in the digital world.

To further strengthen the research ecosystem, we’re awarding $1 million each in research funding to two leading academic institutions advancing AI from Africa — the African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI) at the University of Pretoria and the Wits MIND Institute. These grants will support graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, expanding local capacity to contribute to and shape global AI development.

Building Skills for the AI Economy

AI has the potential to transform economies, but only if more people have the skills to shape and use it. Through Grow with Google, we’ve trained more than 6.5 million people across the continent in digital skills. We’re now expanding that work with a $7 million contribution from Google.org to support AI education and safety programs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. These programs, delivered with academic and nonprofit partners, will focus on AI training and skilling, cybersecurity, and online safety.

In Ghana, we’re also offering 100,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships for students in higher education institutions. These fully funded, self-paced programs cover AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, IT Support, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity — helping learners develop in-demand skills and unlock new career opportunities.

Backing African Startups to innovate

Africa’s startup ecosystem is dynamic and growing, with entrepreneurs using AI to solve challenges in health, agriculture, education, and more. We’re launching a catalytic fund initiative to help more than 100 AI-driven startups scale their solutions. This initiative combines philanthropic funding, venture capital, and technical support to help founders bring locally relevant AI applications to life.

Looking Ahead

Africa’s AI future is already taking shape — in classrooms, research labs, creative studios, and small businesses across the continent. Today’s announcements build on our belief that when communities have the tools and resources they need, they create technologies that can transform the world.

We’re excited to continue supporting Africa’s AI journey and to work alongside the researchers, developers, educators, and entrepreneurs who are building what comes next.