The objective of the GAINAfrica (Generative Artificial Intelligence for Africa) project is to support the responsible and inclusive adoption of Generative AI technologies in African contexts, by connecting European excellence in ethical, legal and trustworthy GenAI with concrete societal needs in Africa.
GAINAfrica addresses a growing global imbalance in the GenAI landscape, where end-to-end AI stacks are largely dominated by non-European actors. The project positions European GenAI technologies as cooperative and adaptable solutions, designed to be transferred and governed in line with AI Act and GDPR principles, while being locally shaped around African languages, cultures, infrastructures and socio-economic conditions.
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GAINAfrica adopts a strongly participatory approach, based on co-creation with African stakeholders. Living Labs established in multiple African regions enable the joint design, testing and validation of GenAI applications in four priority sectors: agriculture, healthcare, education, infrastructure and urban planning. Particular attention is given to multilingualism, gender inclusion, low-resource settings and offline-first operation, ensuring real usability and social impact.
The GAINAfrica consortium brings together universities, research institutes, innovative SMEs, industrial actors and NGOs from Europe and Africa. This transcontinental partnership ensures a balanced combination of scientific excellence, technological capacity and local knowledge, positioning Africa as an active co-creator rather than a passive recipient of AI technologies.
Within GAINAfrica, DRI leads the activities on AI robustness, safety and policy alignment. DRI coordinates the assessment of GenAI research and pilots, focusing on data quality, bias, explainability, human oversight and environmental impact, to ensure that developed solutions are appropriate for real African contexts. DRI also leads the project’s work on standardisation and regulation, translating GAINAfrica results into White Papers and evidence-based policy recommendations.
