Second IJCAI AI for Good Symposium in Africa
Date: Friday 6 September 2024
Hosted by: Deep Learning Indaba, Dakar Senegal
Second IJCAI AI for Good Symposium in Africa
Date: Friday 6 September 2024
Hosted by: Deep Learning Indaba, Dakar Senegal
Abstract
This workshop explores how Artificial Intelligence can contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) from the unique AI research capacity and specific needs of the Global South. Participants will engage in discussions with a panel of speakers and will receive feedback on their papers and projects. This workshop constitutes the Second International Joint Conference on AI Symposium in Africa and aims to provide a platform for students and young researchers to publish in a special volume of the IJCAI proceedings. The workshop aims to spur discussions on how the AI research approach in Africa has the capacity to lead the movement on applied AI for good research internationally. The sessions will promote new partnerships at an international level, with the ultimate goal to change the rules of the game in AI research and focus on the most urgent societal challenges in collaboration with the local communities.
Create a bridge between the international and the African research communities.
Listen and learn from the AI research ecosystem in Africa.
Based on the best practices from AI for Good projects in Africa, lead an international movement that focuses on the needs of the local communities.
Break the barriers for African researchers to access the international arena.
Explore the potential of publishing selected papers presented in the symposium in a special volume (IJCAI proceedings).
08:00 - 08:15. Welcome and Introduction to the workshop. Prof. Georgina Curto, Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, University of Notre Dame.
08:15 - 09:30. Panel Discussion
The grassroots AI research in Africa has the capacity to lead a practical AI for Good movement, changing the focus from publishing papers to involving and benefiting local communities. The panel will explore the bidirectional ways of collaboration between the AI research ecosystem in Africa and international landscape (including conferences, non-profits and industry players).
09:30 - 10:30. Students presentations (each student has 10 minutes to present + 5 minutes Q&A)
10:30 - 11:00. Coffee Break
11:00 - 12:30. Students presentations (each student has 10 minutes to present + 5 minutes Q&A)
12:30 - 14:00. Lunch Break
14:00 - 15:30. Students presentations (each student has 10 minutes to present + 5 minutes Q&A)
15:30 - 16:00. Coffee Break
16:00 - 17:30. Publishing at IJCAI. Students will be offered mentoring regarding the publication guidelines in IJCAI proceedings.
Panel of speakers:
Vukosi Marivate. ABSA UP Chair of Data Science at the University of Pretoria (invited).
Girmaw Abebe Tadesse, Principal Research Scientist and Manager at Microsoft AI for Good Research Lab, (confirmed).
Avishkar Bhoopchand, Staff Research Engineer at Google DeepMind (confirmed).
Georgina Curto, Assistant Research Professor at the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, University of Notre Dame (confirmed).
Serge Stinckwich, Head Of Research at United Nations University Institute in Macau (confirmed).
Sekou Remy, Senior Research Scientist, Google (invited).
Sibusisiwe Makhanya, Senior Research Manager, IBM Research Africa (confirmed).
Submission Deadline: 12 August 2024, anywhere on earth.
Instructions: This workshop constitutes an opportunity to publish your work on AI for Social Good in Africa in a special volume proceedings at the International Joint Conference of AI (IJCAI)! If your work touches on one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, please submit to the workshop!
Paper submissions to the Second IJCAI AI for Good Symposium in Africa are only open to registered attendees of the Deep Learning Indaba 2024.
Registered attendees of the Deep Learning Indaba who submitted short papers to the Indaba will be considered for the Symposium if your work overlaps the symposium's goals. For submissions after 31 July, please use this form.
Papers will be selected for presentation at the symposium where you will be given feedback on your work.
There will be an opportunity to revise your paper and update it according to the IJCAI guidelines to then be included in a special proceedings of the IJCAI AI for Good Symposium.
Georgina Curto, Assistant Research Professor at the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, University of Notre Dame.
Avishkar Bhoopchand, Staff Research Engineer at Google DeepMind; Deep Learning Indaba 2024 Executive Board Member.
Girmaw Abebe Tadesse, Principal Research Scientist and Manager at Microsoft AI for Good Research Lab.
Sibusisiwe Makhanya, Senior Research Manager, IBM Research Africa.