South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is set to deliver the opening keynote at AI Expo Africa 2020.
The expo, which will this year be held as an online event, will take place on 3 and 4 September. Now in its third year, AI Expo Africa is the continent’s largest trade-focused Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, and Data Science business conference.
Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams stated, “This event is taking place at a time when the whole world is grappling with new realities and a new normal brought about by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Advances in artificial intelligence technologies hold the promise of bringing us closer to finding lasting solutions to help us solve the challenges we are facing as humanity. The world is undergoing fundamental changes due to advances in technology and progress made in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Similarly the continent and my country South Africa, are going through same profound changes”
This year’s speaker line-up features keynotes by Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of AI and Machine Learning at the World Economic Forum; Neil Sahota, IBM Master Inventor, UN AI expert and lecturer at University of California, and Fred Werner, Head of Strategic Engagement at the International Telecommunication Union, and Bayo Adekanmbi, CTO MTN Nigeria and founder of Data Science Nigeria, as well as Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg and Deputy Head of the 4IR Commission of South Africa.
AI Expo Africa 2020 has drawn heavyweight vendors like SAP, Huawei Cloud, Blue Prism, UiPath, Intel, Dell, Microsoft and Genesys who will be exhibiting their solutions and products at the expo. They will be joined by a contingent of local startups that includes Ashanti AI, Botlhale AI Solutions, DotModus, Predictive Insights, FinChatBot, FIRtech, Learning Machines, Kenai, Heat Vision A.I, WizzPass, Zindi, Synthesis and Future Fragment.
The expo will also feature dedicated French, Dutch and Swiss pavilions where startups from the three respective countries will showcase their AI and Data Science innovations and solutions.
In addition, delegates can also look forward to an Intel Youth in AI ePavilion which aims to foster inclusion of youth-focused AI entities and initiatives.
Nick Bradshaw, co-founder of AI Media Group curators of AI Expo Africa stated, “This is the 3rd year of us running the AI Expo Africa event and with he impact of COVID we have taken the entire community online this year. It means we can reach more countries and include more people. Uniquely this platform not only allows us to run our 2 day business event, but it also serves as a 30 day learning platform after the main event end. All the talks, vendor booths, posters and content are available for young people, students, entrepreneurs and learners from across South Africa and wider Africa to join us and learn about the latest technology driving the 4IR in Africa. Its a great opportunity for big business to find new buyers and suppliers, for start-ups to find more clients, and for young people to learn and even find a job. The reach of this online eConference will be bigger that our previous two shows – we cant wait to welcome everyone on 3rd September.”
