Ai4SDG Archives - Next Step Foundation

The Next Step Foundation Partners with 26bitz to Expand Tumaini Mental Health Support Platform

June 17, 2025 by bethsalel.wauna@nextstepfdn.org

Innovative Healthcare Technology Collaboration Aims to Transform Mental Health Access for Youth with Disabilities In a recent announcement, originally shared on May 29, 2025, Next Step Foundation unveiled a strategic partnership with 26bitz, a leading healthcare-focused software development company, to expand Tumaini, an AI-powered mental health support platform initially designed for Youth with Disabilities in … Read more

Governing AI for Humanity

October 24, 2024 by collins.jumah@nextstepfdn.org

The “Governing AI for Humanity” final report, published by the High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence in September 2024, outlines a comprehensive framework for the global governance of artificial intelligence. This multi-stakeholder body, established under the auspices of the United Nations as part of the Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, is tasked with identifying challenges … Read more

Investing in Data for Public Good

July 4, 2024 by bethsalel.wauna@nextstepfdn.org

Key Insights from Philip Thigo During the launch of our AI4SDG centre, Philip Thigo, a UN High Level Advisory Board Member on AI, delivered an inspiring keynote speech. He emphasized the crucial need to invest in data not for profit, but for the public good. Thigo highlighted several key points: Data Investment for Public Good … Read more

AI for SDGs – Its All About the Data

June 17, 2024 by collins.jumah@nextstepfdn.org

I recently came across the following article: “Surveying Attitudinal Alignment between Large Language Models vs. Humans towards 17 Sustainable Development Goals.” For those who aren’t aware, in 2015 the United Nations endorsed the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” that included 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), along with 169 specific targets, aimed at addressing a range … Read more

AI + AT = ?

February 23, 2024 by admin

Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Assistive Technologies for Persons with Disabilities? Across Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, Persons with Disabilities are 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed than people without disability. Among the many factors that contribute to this disparity is the lack of assistive technologies. (In East Africa, where Next Step … Read more

Roughnecks in the Machine

February 23, 2024 by admin

Data Annotators are the Roughnecks of AI Then Now Staff of Juma work on computers at the office in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 20, 2020. Picture taken January 20, 2020. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja As I noted in a recent post, in 2017, The Economist magazine said “data” was the oil of the digital era. If that … Read more

Responsible AI in Africa Requires DATA

February 23, 2024 by admin

“There is inherent power and control in datasets.” Whether AI is or will be “ethical” or “responsible” is the subject of much conjecture and debate, but most of that discussion has centred around the Global North. Far less attention is paid to how AI will affect the economies (and cultures) of countries in Africa. A … Read more