Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa seeks proposals to spur AI ethics research on the continent

July 16, 2020

AI continues to become a significant socioeconomic factor for countries across the globe and the role of AI Ethics is essential to gleaning AI benefits and mitigating AI negativities. 

Recognising the need for focused attention on AI technological impacts in Africa, Facebook is extending its ongoing independent research by teaming with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) of South Africa. They have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) aimed at seeking ground -breaking AI research and innovations that pertain to Africa and  encompassing three primary areas: (1) AI Ethics by design, (2) Governance, ethics, and human rights, and (3) AI Ethics and diversity.

Types of questions that proposals are expected to address include:

  • How do hard and binding legal instruments, namely existing and proposed legislation, and ethical AI governance frameworks (soft law, non-binding) interact and mutually influence each other?
  • How should international, regional, and national human rights frameworks coexist and interact with each other?
  • What can AI and ethics learn from human rights law and from the obligations it places on public and private actors?
  • What are the most prominent narratives on the role and impact of AI in Africa?
  • How does local knowledge on the relationship between humans and machines shape the understanding, the perception, and adoption of AI in Africa?

Applicants must be non-profit or non-governmental organisations and proposals are due by July 22, 2020. Selected proposals will receive a research grant and will be encouraged to openly publish their research findings.

For further information and to be able to submit a proposal, see here

Reporting by Dr. Lance Eliot our US Associate Editor for Computers & Law