AI Insights

AI safety is a theme rapidly gaining traction. A recent webinar held by the EthicsLab sought to ask a more situated question: What does it mean to talk about safety in Africa, and for whom is safety at stake?

Republished: A/Prof Jonathan Shock visited CISPA Helmholtz Center in Germany from 12-13 June 2025 for strategic collaboration exploring cybersecurity research, education and tech transfer as part of CISPA's Africa Strategy.

When generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools first surged into the mainstream, higher education institutions faced an urgent question: how do we regulate or contain them within existing academic structures?

The winners of the UCT-Harvard surgical hackathon are looking to champion children’s bodily autonomy on a global stage. Here’s how.

UCT bags two new SARChI research chairs in Ocean and Atmospheric Modelling and Symbolic Artificial Intelligence, strengthening the university's research leadership in climate science and explainable artificial intelligence.

For Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become more reliable and adaptable, it must develop a form of “understanding” of the world that allows it to make sound decisions.

Can a self-driving car truly be ‘autonomous’? What does it mean for an AI to ‘govern itself or for a so-called ‘autonomous weapon’ to make life-or-death decisions?

Rachel Adams' "The New Empire of AI: The Future of Global Inequality" reveals how AI extends colonial power structures, exploiting resources while promising progress. It creates algorithmic governance systems that deepen global inequities.

As educators, we need to be keeping up to ensure that our teaching and learning is providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the world of AI.

We invite applicants to submit a proposal that outlines a use case for a teaching enhancement or innovation that leverages AI.

Event recap: The EthicsLab hosted a retreat at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study bringing scholars from Africa and Latin America together to explore the idea of AI as a force of worldmaking.

Webinar recap: Yousif Hassan argues that Artificial Intelligence and development in Africa are not just about technology and innovation but also about desirable AI futures and the political imaginations sustaining them.

The Artificial Intelligence Research Unit (AIRU) at UCT was established to enhance the university’s AI capabilities, focusing on solving Africa’s development issues.

Based at the University of Cape Town (UCT), Professor Tommie Meyer has been elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) in recognition of his excellence in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Webinar recap: Sebastián Lehuedé critically explores the colonial dimensions of AI in Chile and whether embracing digital sovereignty is a suitable response.

Therapeutic drugs have long been ill suited to African patients’ needs. The UCT Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D) posit that scientists can use artificial intelligence (AI) to change this.

Research conducted by the Digital Open Textbooks for Development (DOT4D) team in the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) has brought to light an innovative approach in medical education, leveraging artificial intelligence.

Dr Jan Buys, a senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town (UCT), specialising in natural language processing (NLP) and machine-learning (ML), has been awarded a prestigious P-rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

Webinar recap: A panel discussion exploring the ethical and political significance of concepts such as AI, data and digital colonialism and the relevance of these concepts within the African context and the broader global South.

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) has launched three guides to help staff and students navigate artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-driven tools in their teaching and learning.

Webinar Recap: A dynamic panel discussion on ethical questions surrounding race, power, and representation in generative artificial intelligence programs from the diverse fields of global health and fashion.