Scaling AI innovations and promoting gender equity in LMICs

The GSMA Innovation Fund for Impactful AI is making strides in addressing local challenges and fostering inclusive, sustainable solutions, with a key focus on gender equity and the role of mobile network operators in scaling AI innovations. Offering grants of up to £250,000, the fund aims to help low- and middle-income countries harness AI and emerging technologies. Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Head of Mobile for Development at GSMA, shares key insights into the initiative's goals and opportunities. Last year, a paper was published that explored the obstacles to AI growth in Africa, highlighting three core areas: the availability of compute, data, and skills. Despite these challenges, nearly 100 use cases in energy, agriculture, and climate are already being developed on the continent. This underscores the efforts of local organizations in leveraging AI to positively impact communities. The GSMA and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK aimed to support these solutions through the innovation fund, emphasizing the importance of addressing local socioeconomic and climate-related challenges. The fund seeks to measure the return on investment by aligning impact and commercial sustainability. Solutions supported must demonstrate a socioeconomic or climate impact while also being commercially viable for long-term sustainability. The partnership aims to de-risk innovative solutions that traditional investors may perceive as high-risk. By providing funding and support, the program prepares organizations to attract commercial capital and continue driving impact. When asked about the focus on female-led enterprises, Max highlighted the need to address the over-representation of male-led ventures in innovation programs. While the fund is not exclusive to female-led organizations, it actively encourages applications from underrepresented groups to promote gender equity and diversity in the tech sector. Criteria for project selection prioritize solutions with market presence looking to integrate AI or scale existing AI-centric solutions. Organizations without a market product or AI understanding may face challenges in the selection process. Max emphasized the role of mobile network operators in supporting AI-driven enterprises in low- and middle-income countries. Operators can serve as valuable partners by leveraging their brand, distribution networks, customer base, and mobile money services to foster the growth and success of AI solutions.