Google establishes an AI center in Ghana, pledging $37 million to shape Africa's artificial intelligence future.
In a significant move to advance artificial intelligence (AI) research and development across Africa, Google has announced a US$37 million investment initiative. The programme, which includes funding for research grants, startup support, and language technologies, is designed to serve the continent's diverse needs (1, 2).
At the heart of this investment is the AI Community Center, Africa's first of its kind, recently opened in Accra, Ghana. This center offers Ghanaians, and indeed all Africans, the opportunity to not just learn AI but to shape it, from language models to climate solutions. The center is designed for researchers, developers, artists, and everyday people to explore AI (1).
Google's SVP for Research, Technology & Society, James Manyika, was present at the unveiling of the AI Community Center. The center aims to support the next wave of innovation through long-term investment, local partnerships, and platforms that help researchers and entrepreneurs build solutions that matter. In Ghana, 100,000 people will receive scholarships for Google Career Certificates covering AI essentials, data analytics, cybersecurity, and more (1).
The AI Community Center is part of Google's attempt to make AI less foreign and more African. Another $3 million is being given to the Masakhane Research Foundation for building datasets and translation tools in over 40 African languages. Two South African institutions, AfriDSAI at the University of Pretoria and the Wits MIND Institute, are receiving $1 million each for exploring responsible AI development (1).
Google's approach to AI in Africa is focusing on open research, education, and public-interest AI, as opposed to building commercial products and integrations. This is in stark contrast to local firms like Cassava Technologies, which are building commercial products and integrations using African data. Africa is actively participating in the global AI movement, with opportunities for research, education, and commercial development (2).
However, as of the latest information available in August 2025, no publicly reported details or press releases specify AI-related initiatives or investments by Google specifically targeting Zimbabwe. The engagements explicitly mentioned center primarily on regional and continent-wide projects. Thus, while Zimbabwe may be indirectly benefiting from continent-wide investments, Google's recent AI initiatives and investments do not appear to specifically include or focus on Zimbabwe individually following the Accra AI Community Center launch.
Africa is home to some of the most important and inspiring work in AI today. Africa's AI race involves not just big tech companies like Google, but also local firms like Cassava Technologies. Google.org is investing $25 million into AI-powered solutions for food security in Africa, including crop modeling, hunger forecasting, and smallholder farming tools (2).
In addition, $7 million is allocated for AI education in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, funding training programs by nonprofits and academic institutions. Google's investments aim to develop AI tools for food security, language inclusion via the Masakhane Research Foundation, support AI-driven startups, and grant funding to academic institutions like the University of Pretoria and the Wits MIND Institute—both in South Africa.
References:
- Google unveils US$37 million AI initiative to boost connectivity in Africa
- Google announces $37 million investment to accelerate AI innovation and research across Africa
The AI Community Center, a first-of-its-kind in Africa, serves as a platform for individuals to not just learn about artificial intelligence (AI), but also contribute to its development, focusing on areas such as language models and climate solutions (1). Google's investment in AI across Africa also includes funding for AI education, with $7 million allocated for training programs in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa (2).
