Do you have an innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrated solution that could tackle or address some of the major issues facing populations in Africa and the Middle East around hunger, health, unemployment and infrastructure? Then you’ll want to enter the AI4DEV 2020 Challenge.

The innovation challenge — which is organised by the International  Telecommunications Union (ITU) and facilitated by NilePreneurs, in partnership with United Nations (UN) agencies like the FAO, UNDP, UNESCO and WHO together with several local and international organisations — seeks to identify ideas and solutions that innovatively use AI to impact four UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Arab and African countries.

AI4DEV 2020 Challenge

AI4DEV 2020 Challenge

Organised under the theme “Leveraging Technology to Achieve United Nations SDGs“, the AI4DEV 2020 Challenge will focus on the following four SDGs:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger:

  • Wasting less food
  • Achieving food security and improved nutrition
  • Promoting sustainable agriculture

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being:

  • Ensuring healthy lives
  • Promoting wellbeing for all, at all ages

SDG 8: Decent work and Economic Growth:

  • Creating job opportunities for youth
  • Promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth
  • Promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure:

  • Fostering innovation
  • Building resilient infrastructure
  • Promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation

The challenge is open to AI practitioners, professionals, graduates, students, SMEs and startups in Arab and African countries.

There’s up to $12 000 in prize money up for grabs, with the first place winner taking home a $5 000 prize, second place receiving $3 000 , and third and fourth place winners both netting $2 000. Besides the monetary prizes, winners stand to benefit from mentorship and training from experts in the field, guidance in developing prototypes, as well exposure to industry experts and representatives from the UN and other multinational organisations.

Submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria: problem relevance, team competencies, solution urgency, use of AI, solution scalability, and data acquisition. Applications for the challenge will close on 17 November.

To learn more about the AI4DEV2020 Challenge, application process, selection criteria, and prizes, visit the challenge’s website here and follow this Facebook page to stay up-to-date on developments around the challenge.