<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa arrived in California in the United States (US) on November 14 with a delegation comprising representatives from government, business, academia, research institutions and universities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The working visit includes engagements with leading technology companies, investors, researchers and artificial intelligence experts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The delegation will examine developments in AI, robotics, cloud computing, data infrastructure and digital innovation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The programme also includes engagements with academic institutions about the implications of AI for security, business, technology, the economy and employment.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The SA AI Opportunity gathering will be held under the theme \u201cBuilding the African AI Economy: Infrastructure, Investment and Innovation\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Presidency said discussions would focus on the data centres, computing capacity, energy supplies and investment required to position SA as a competitive AI hub on the continent.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
AI safety, cybersecurity, governance, skills development and the future of work will also form part of the engagements.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Presidency said AI could improve productivity, strengthen public services, stimulate economic growth and create new industries and employment opportunities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Potential domestic applications include healthcare, education, public administration, criminal justice and public procurement.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The visit will also allow SA to study the risks associated with AI and consider policies, regulations and skills programmes supporting responsible adoption.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Presidency said knowledge exchanges with institutions at the forefront of AI development could help strengthen domestic research and technological capabilities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The programme will promote SA as an investment destination and highlight economic reforms implemented through Operation Vulindlela.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The country will also present investment opportunities in the digital economy, research institutions and innovation ecosystem.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Presidency said the government wanted to harness AI while safeguarding digital sovereignty, policy autonomy and personal data.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Responsible governance would be required to ensure that technological advances supported inclusive economic growth and development.<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa is accompanied by Ministers responsible for Finance, International Relations, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Communications, Electricity, Small Business Development and the Presidency.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SA\u2019s Ambassador to the US is also participating in the visit, which comes amid strained diplomatic and trade relations between Pretoria and Washington.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–Sherwin Bryce-Pease\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n
Image: Reuters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":43424,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[78,44],"class_list":["post-51025","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"South Africa's (SA) President Cyril Ramaphosa is visiting Silicon Valley to attract investment and strengthen the country's position in the rapidly expanding global artificial intelligence economy.","published_date":"","news_description":"South Africa's (SA) President Cyril Ramaphosa is visiting Silicon Valley to attract investment and strengthen the country's position in the rapidly expanding global artificial intelligence economy.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/51025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/51025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51027,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/51025\/revisions\/51027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=51025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}