TL;DR:
- Commonwealth AI Consortium (CAIC) unveils an action plan harnessing AI tools.
- Aims to support small states and empower 1.5 billion young people across the Commonwealth.
- CAIC includes tech giants, research institutions, nonprofits, and six member countries.
- Steering Committee Meeting at UNGA results in an action plan promoting technology for economic growth, sustainability, improved health, and job creation.
- Four working groups focus on policy, capacity-building, data and infrastructure, and research and innovation.
- Commonwealth Secretary-General emphasizes AI for inclusive growth and women’s digital empowerment.
- Rwanda aims to become Africa’s AI research hub.
- Diverse voices in AI development are highlighted by Australia’s National AI Centre.
- Expectations to achieve objectives by October 2024.
- Champion countries and working groups to drive concrete projects.
- CAIC is committed to equipping citizens with access and skills for innovations and opportunities in cyberspace.
Main AI News:
The Commonwealth Artificial Intelligence Consortium (CAIC) has embarked on a strategic mission to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Their goal? To bolster the prospects of small states while nurturing the talents of over 1.5 billion young people under the age of 30 across the Commonwealth. This ambitious initiative, which boasts the participation of global tech giants, world-renowned research institutions, non-profit organizations, and at least six member countries of the Commonwealth, recently convened its inaugural Steering Committee Meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. During this pivotal gathering, a significant dialogue took place with private sector partners.
The Steering Committee, driven by a shared vision of harnessing AI’s transformative potential, has outlined a robust action plan. Central to this plan is the objective of equipping member countries with the capabilities to harness AI’s global innovations, such as cloud computing and generative AI. It is anticipated that widespread adoption of these technologies will usher in economic growth, bolster sustainability, enhance healthcare outcomes, and spur job creation.
This comprehensive strategy includes a framework that delineates the roles various organizations and groups will play in the execution of this vision. Additionally, the CAIC has launched four distinct working groups, each focused on a core area of action: policy, capacity-building, data and infrastructure, as well as research and innovation.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, KC, emphasized the enduring commitment to “AI for good,” highlighting its pivotal role in achieving inclusive growth, sustainable development, and shared prosperity across all member nations. She underscored the imperative of empowering women with digital skills and reiterated the significance of focusing on the Commonwealth’s youthful demographic advantage. Furthermore, she emphasized that the spotlight on small states is not peripheral but central, considering that 33 of the world’s small states are part of the Commonwealth.
Hon. Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation and Chair of the CAIC Steering Committee, reiterated her country’s dedication to championing ‘AI for good’ within the Commonwealth. Rwanda, with its ambitious vision, aims to become Africa’s AI research hub and welcomes partnerships with the private sector and academia to co-create AI-driven solutions for accelerated socio-economic development.
Co-chairing the meeting, Stela Solar, Director of Australia’s National AI Centre at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), emphasized the rapid integration of AI technologies into everyday products, services, and education. She stressed the importance of diverse voices from the Commonwealth community in shaping AI’s development and ensuring that the benefits of these advancements and opportunities are accessible to all.
Professor Solomon Darwin, Executive Director of the Center for Open Innovation at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, commended the progress made by the Commonwealth AI consortium. He lauded the practical solutions presented by several firms at the Commonwealth office and expressed optimism about achieving their objectives by October 2024.
The pivotal roles of Commonwealth AI champion countries, including The Gambia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago, were acknowledged by participants. Ministers from Mauritius and The Bahamas emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts to bridge the digital and AI divide while advancing AI technology across the Commonwealth.
The newly-established CAIC working groups are poised to deliver tangible projects in the coming year, leading up to the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled for October 2024 in Samoa. These projects encompass a wide array of deliverables, including workforce development and upskilling, particularly for young people, national data and AI strategies, ethics and governance guidelines, and efforts to combat misinformation, among others.
In alignment with the mandate established during the last CHOGM in Rwanda in 2022, the CAIC remains committed to empowering citizens by providing them with the access and skills needed to fully harness the potential of innovations, new technologies, and opportunities in cyberspace. The consortium’s collective efforts promise to usher in a new era of prosperity and progress for the Commonwealth and its diverse member states.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, addresses the gathering of the Commonwealth AI consortium. Source: Commonwealth Secretariat
Conclusion:
The Commonwealth AI Consortium’s strategic action plan demonstrates a clear commitment to leveraging AI for the benefit of small states and the youth population in the Commonwealth. This initiative not only promotes economic growth, sustainability, and improved healthcare but also emphasizes diversity and inclusivity in shaping AI’s future. As the consortium progresses toward its objectives, it presents a promising opportunity for businesses to engage in AI-driven innovation and collaboration within the Commonwealth market, potentially fostering new partnerships and markets for AI-related products and services.
