Experts from diverse backgrounds joined the GeoTech Center for a digital discussion on the following questions. 1) How will data collection and AI impact African societies and economies, and what are the pros and cons of using emerging technologies to spur development? 2) What is the role of big data and AI in fighting the novel coronavirus, and how can modern technologies support the post-COVID-19 economic recovery in Africa? 3) What are Africa’s strengths and weaknesses in data and AI development, and how can modern technologies be deployed there for social good? 4) How are external actors perceived in the field? As usual, the meeting was held under strict Chatham House Rules and the summary features quotes and key ideas without attribution.

The roundtable was part of the GeoTech Center’s Smart Partnership Series, lead at the time by Mathew Burrows and Julian Mueller-Kaler, to analyze how AI is changing societies, to evaluate China’s role as a global citizen, and to look at how middle- and low-income countries can leverage technology for good. Supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, endeavors started in 2019 with meetings in Paris, Brussels, and Berlin, where discussions centered around the development of artificial intelligence and its implications for geopolitics. In January 2020 and only weeks before the novel Coronavirus changed the world, the project continued with meetings in Beijing and Shanghai, focused on the domestic factors of China’s use of modern technologies. While trips to India and Rwanda were scheduled for the spring of 2020, roundtables had to be moved online, given COVID-19’s disruptive effect.

Read the full recap at The Atlantic Council.