DataFest Africa 2025: Inclusive AI governance through sandboxes

Developing Nations & Big Tech Developing economies are capitalizing on the data infrastructure through building data centers. “No country can afford to have its natural resource—the data of its people—be extracted, transformed into intelligence and then imported back into the country,” Jensen Huang (NVIDIA) at an Indosat event [Indonesia] Data protection regulations vary in different countries. Some countries have regulations requiring big tech companies using their data to operate domestically. Hence, these firms build their own data facilities or rent them from local companies. This models ensures that the country’s citizens are protected from exploitation by dataopolies #wallstreetjournal #wsj #artificialintelligence #economics #individualinvestor

Africa must build its own AI future with local data, infrastructure – NITDA DG Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the director-general of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has urged African nations to build up their own data sets and... https://lnkd.in/dqFstH9P

"Vietnam National Data Association has initiated the Vietnam Data Expert Network (VDEN) with the aim of mobilizing Vietnamese scientists, experts, and entrepreneurs worldwide..." "According to the National Data Association, VDEN’s primary objective is to connect Vietnamese intellectual resources both domestically and internationally, enabling the exchange of ideas, experience, and expertise to drive an autonomous, creative, and globally integrated data economy." https://lnkd.in/gHPs68ec #vietnam #govtechasia #technologynews #technews

This morning's International Data Week (IDW) plennary session on Rigorous, Responsible and Reproducible Science in the era of FAIR data and AI was incredible. Many nuggets of wisdom from all three speakers. Agnes Kiragga shared her experience with strengthening data systems for evidence generation in Africa; Ana Arjona spoke about the urgency of data validation in the social sciences; and Juliet Gerrard spoke about data, evidence, and policy with tips and tricks to help walk the tight-rope between research and policy in a messy and political world.

I’ve been an active participant in LLM funding rounds — from pre-seed and Series A through to growth-stage cap tables, including companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. While I believe LLMs still have some mileage—despite their bubbliness, I see Small Language Models (SLMs) as Africa’s real path forward. My new article tackles the next logical question: how should Africa actually build AI applications? It lays out a concrete framework for SLM development, covering: - Technical requirements – showing how little Africa actually needs compared to conventional wisdom - Data strategies – balancing sovereignty with practical utility - Business models – enabling sustainable growth without government infrastructure spending Drawing lessons from African success stories like M-Pesa and Flutterwave, the piece offers actionable guidance for policymakers, investors, and institutions ready to move from strategy to implementation. I believe it will resonate with anyone who has asked whether Africa needs to pour money into data centers—or whether the real opportunity lies in building applications. 👉 Read here: https://lnkd.in/eh_rA9Ur

Today at the 3rd Frankfurt AI Symposium in Kaiserslautern. Data is the fuel of the digital economy – it powers the engine of innovation and growth. But the decisive question is: who owns the tank? Data ownership must lie with the individuals who generate personal data and the companies that produce industrial data – not with global advertising platforms. Advertising is not the engine. It is not the fuel. At best, it is just the exhaust noise. The true drive comes from the raw material itself: data.

It was a pleasure to visit the Smart Country Convention in Berlin. The event has grown with each year, and this shows that the importance of e-governance has increased both in the minds of users and service providers. It gives hope that the pace of development and adoption will continue to grow. As key fundamentals that should be the enablers for growth and effectiveness in digital governance in Germany, the following was emphasized: ✅ Standardisation through Deutschland-Stack / GovStack (Open Source) ✅ AI in digital services ✅ Data sovereignty In a time where financial means are scarce, it makes perfect sense to invest in digital public services. After all as shown by the example of Estonia, digital services save ~𝟮% 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗗𝗣 according to OECD and CEPA. #eGovernance #GovStack #SCCON

Day 4 at #DSNAIBootcamp2025 Powered by DSN - Data Science Nigeria Bridging Innovation and Social Impact Yesterday, we witnessed an inspiring keynote session by Dr. Uyi Stewart, PhD,Vice President, Inclusive Innovation & Analytics at Mastercard, titled “AI for Inclusive Growth: Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Social Impact.” Dr. Uyi emphasized a truth that resonates deeply with our mission at EqualyzAI the era of waiting for infrastructure before inclusion is over. “The problem is being resolved because we now have the ability to deploy AI solutions in communities that were once unreachable. We don’t need to wait for the full rollout of digital public infrastructure implementation is already happening. For example, the AI-in-a-box by EqualyzAI, OffGPT.” At EqualyzAI, we believe this is the essence of inclusive innovation building AI that works where people are, not only where systems exist. With OffGPT, our on-premises, sovereign AI assistant, we’re ensuring that every organization from schools to local governments can own their intelligence, protect their data, and drive impact without dependency on external infrastructure. As we step into Day 4 of #DSNAIBootcamp2025, we continue to prove that AI for All is not just a theme it’s a movement powered by real solutions built for real people.  Stay tuned for more sessions, insights, and innovation highlights from today. #EqualyzAI #OffGPT #AIForAll #InclusiveInnovation #AIForImpact #TechForGood #DSNAIBootcamp2025 #AIForAfrica #DataSovereignty #BuildingMomentum

🎙[Oct.7] Live from #TrustedDataTransaction Conference - Dialogue between Guillaume ROTY from the European Commission, Léo Quentin from Arcep and Ana Garcia Robles from BDVA - Big Data Value Association sharing institutional perspectives on the role of governance, regulation and standards in Europe's data and AI ambitions. Speakers are exploring the overarching governance, regulatory and standardization landscape shaping Europe's digital future. #TrustedDataTransaction #EUTrustedDataFramework #DataExchange #DataAct #DataGovernanceAct

We were delighted to hold the IBDE Artificial Intelligence and Data Advisory Group (#AIDAG) meeting, kindly hosted by Freshfields. The discussion provided members with an opportunity to explore data-driven innovation and economic transformation – one of the five major themes of the AIDAG Working Programme in 2025. Key topics included: - Data access, licensing, and legal certainty - AI infrastructure, energy, and data sovereignty - Commercial viability and ethical deployment - Innovation, sustainability, and future trajectories Thank you to Vivienne Artz OBE - Chair of AIDAG - for expertly chairing the meeting, and to Giles Pratt, James J. Ward and Imran Shafi OBE for their introductory remarks, and to all participants for their insights and contributions. The Meeting Report is available to members. #AIDAG provides a forum for regular and structured engagement for business leaders, government, senior diplomats, and experts to explore issues impacting AI and data, and how they can support economic prosperity. #IBDE #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Data #Innovation #EconomicDiplomacy