The mission of the Artificial Intelligence Research Unit (AIRU) is to provide research and thought leadership to academia, industry, government and civil society, so that they can leverage AI to improve people’s lives. AIRU is based in the Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Science at the University of Cape Town, and is led by Prof Tommie Meyer and Prof Deshen Moodley. We harness blue sky AI approaches to explore innovative applications of artificial intelligence to advance Africa.

As hosts of South Africa’s national AI network, the Centre for AI Research (CAIR), AIRU has strong local and international networks and affiliations. As the Department of Science and Innovation’s flagship programme for AI, CAIR is a key instrument for building South Africa’s foundational capacity for AI research in alignment with the government strategy over the next 10 years.