About

Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D) is a programme that aims to foster safe, inclusive and responsible AI ecosystems that empower people and accelerate progress on challenges in international development. AI4D supports responsible AI ecosystems where experts in developing countries are enabled to develop their own solutions to development challenges and mitigate AI risks through safe, inclusive, rights-based and sustainable AI applications and policies.

Launched initially as ‘AI4D Africa’ in 2020, the first phase of the programme laid a solid foundation by supporting responsible AI policies, multidisciplinary research, and innovative projects across the African continent. Building on this success, AI4D entered its second phase in 2024, with a broadened scope that now spans Africa and Asia, supported by a partnership between the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and additional funding from Swedish SIDA.

Programme Structure

AI4D is structured around four interconnected pillars and underpinned by five cross-cutting priorities.

Critical Outcomes

At its core, AI4D seeks to contribute to two critical outcomes:

  • Shaping policy: Establishing responsible AI policies and regulations that minimize harm and promote inclusivity, ethics, sustainability, and human rights.
  • Scaling innovation: Supporting and expanding impactful AI applications that address key development challenges, such as gender inequality and environmental sustainability.
Click on a Pillar or Priority to learn more
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Pillars

AI Policy and Governance
AI Fundamentals: skills, data and compute
Innovation
Scaling

Priorities

Southern Leadership
Research and Evidence
Responsible AI
Gender, Disability and Inclusion
Global Partnerships

Goal

Globally inclusive, responsible AI for the SDGs

Timeline

Key Milestones and Progress of the AI4D Programme.

2018

IDRC White Paper: Artificial Intelligence and Human Development
The white paper is published, outlining a research agenda for ethical and inclusive AI in the Global South.
Go to the White Paper

2020

Launch of AI4D Africa
AI4D Africa was established with a $20 million CAD investment from IDRC and SIDA, supporting responsible AI ecosystems across Africa, including policy hubs, multidisciplinary labs, and locally-led innovations addressing societal challenges.

2021

AI4COVID Program
An additional $8 million CAD investment from IDRC and SIDA funds 8 projects aimed at strengthening health systems and improving pandemic responses in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This includes tools like the South African COVID-19 monitoring dashboard, viewed by over 1 million users daily.
Feminist AI Network
A global initiative launches to address data bias and ensure inclusivity in AI development.

2022

Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI)
IDRC partners with Global Affairs Canada to develop this $3 million CAD initiative, equipping governments, civil society, and stakeholders with the evidence needed to advance responsible AI use.
Launch of AI4GH
The $15 million CAD AI for Global Health (AI4GH) program is launched by IDRC, focusing on leveraging AI innovations to address global health challenges, including maternal health, infectious disease management, and pandemic preparedness.

2023

Launch of AI4D
A new £38 million GBP / $68 million CAD partnership between IDRC and the FCDO is announced at the AI Safety Summit in Bletchley Park, UK. The programme consolidates and expands AI4D Africa, GIRAI, the Feminist AI Network, and AI4GH by unlocking AI benefits for African languages, establishing research labs, creating regulatory frameworks, and reducing barriers for innovators.
AI4D Funders Collaborative
Representatives from FCDO, IDRC, BMZ, and the Gates Foundation begin regular meetings to align resources and address challenges faced by AI innovators, fostering inclusive and responsible AI development.
Go to the Funders Collaborative Website

2024

First Edition of GIRAI Released
The first edition of the Global Index on Responsible AI is launched at the Global Digital Development Forum with support from USAID, offering insights and benchmarks from data collected across 138 countries.
Expansion of AI4D into the Indo-Pacific
The UK and Canada announce £20 million GBP / $35 million CAD funding to expand AI4D into low- and middle-income countries in the Indo-Pacific, establishing research labs, investing in digital infrastructure, supporting innovators, and fostering responsible governance.