This year’s gathering in Dakar was electrifying, inspiring, and filled us all with hope for the future of AI in Africa. I am still buzzing from it. Through the Deep Learning Indaba, we have collectively created a thriving community of AI researchers, builders, and practitioners. The growing Indaba community and our gatherings demonstrate that Africa […]

There’s a principle in the hindu traditions called the 3 gunas. These are three phases which we are thought to enter on periodic cycles across varying timespans. I’ll start with my interpretation of sattwa. This guna (or force) represents inspiration and creativity. It is a time when ideas are by the bounty and our will […]

The drum beats as we count the days until we reunite in Dakar, Senegal for the 6th Deep Learning Indaba. A gathering of minds and spirits that will take us one step further along our journey – a journey of inclusion, of community, and of AI researchers and practitioners galvanising across the African continent. As […]

Over the years I have been able to witness the power of building together through the incredible work that is achieved by the organisers and sponsors of the Deep Learning Indaba. The planning of the conference takes less than one year, with each team working to place a block towards achieving milestones and working together […]

2019 was my first attendance at the Deep Learning Indaba (DLI) following the organisation of the first IndabaX event in Senegal that same year. I was so excited to be going to the Nairobi airport, full of enthusiasm at the idea of meeting enthusiasts and experts in the field of artificial intelligence. This field, which […]

My name is Aya Salama. Since 2019, I’ve had the privilege of being involved with the Indaba community, starting when I first applied to host an IndabaX in Egypt. Throughout the years, I’ve contributed to various committees including the IndabaX Steering Committee, Programme Committee, and Applications and Selections Committee, and I’ve even dabbled in sponsorship […]

Becoming creators of machine learning  We have heard calls for us, the African Machine Learning (ML) community, to move beyond being consumers of the latest ML techniques (such as 1 and 2). Whether we are solving African problems or core theoretical challenges, we should be part of creating and building this technology. We shouldn’t be […]

In the New Year, Shakir Mohamed (Deep Learning Indaba Co-founder and Trustee) put forward an inspiring message to the Deep Learning Indaba organisers, aptly titled “Planting the Flag of Knowledge in 2024 and Beyond,”. This message quoted Mariama Bâ’s, a Senegalese author, equally poignant post from her first book titled, ‘So Long a Letter‘ – […]

I was first introduced to the Deep Learning Indaba in 2018. At the start of this year, I had quite literally packed my bags and left a career in Physiotherapy to start from scratch in Cape Town, South Africa. Prior to this, I’d been working as a clinical physiotherapist at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital […]

This has been an interesting year, with the rest of the world starting to wake up to the power and potential of AI. Fortunately, the African AI community has been waking up for the last few years, in time to make sure that Africa has a seat at this very important table. The 2023 Deep […]

Before the rest of this intro I want us all to thank all the organisers, volunteers and participants of the 2023 Deep Learning Indaba in Ghana. You made it the experience that it was.  Now, on to some thoughts post the Indaba to inspire the next year. It is time to stretch and test our […]

The Indaba community inspired me and reopened my eyes, seeing people to look up to from all over Africa succeeding in industry and academia made me realise that all hardships can be harnessed, that I can myself be part of the African and Global AI advancement. Anonymous Travelling to Accra, meeting like-minded people, engaging in […]

I arrive at the venue a few hours early to check the setup and prepare for registration. It’s almost eerily quiet, just the occasional light hum of activity around as volunteers, suppliers and sponsors make last minute adjustments. The calm before the storm. All those months of late nights preparing, the moment has finally come! […]

As a Ghanaian machine learning practitioner in the United States, I’m constantly searching for ways to contribute to capacity building efforts in Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa. When I stumbled upon the Deep Learning Indaba in 2018, I couldn’t help but join forces with this great organisation to promote their noble […]

A community, by my layman definition, is a group of individuals with a shared mission, goal or purpose. There should ideally be leadership, with distinct roles, policies and platforms that govern the interaction of the community. Communities can be large, vibrant ecosystems. They may not be as organised as we think, maybe things just work […]