In collaboration with Microsoft, Data.org has launched the Generative AI Skills Challenge, a global grant program to educate and empower teams in generative AI to create a positive societal impact.
The Challenge’s primary focus is on promoting digital inclusion, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and underserved communities, by prioritizing equitable and community-driven integration. The initiative aims to accelerate digital inclusion, boost socioeconomic mobility, and foster skill development among workers.
Microsoft will be providing funding for the Generative AI Skills Grant Challenge, and multiple organizations are expected to receive awards as part of this initiative. The program is geared towards fostering meaningful advancements in the field of generative AI while ensuring that the benefits reach diverse and marginalized populations.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 14 (June 3 – Sept 2, 2024) begins registrations; get massive discounts with early registration here.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
Who can apply?
The Generative AI Skills Challenge is open to nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and academic/research institutions that are dedicated to providing upskilling opportunities in generative AI.
The initiative welcomes organizations with a strong technical background as well as those with innovative and region-specific ideas aimed at advancing the workforce and narrowing the digital divide through the application of generative AI.
To apply for the Generative AI Skills Challenge, interested individuals can submit their applications through the provided link before the deadline on August 15, 2023.
The selection process will be based on transparent criteria of assessment, evaluation, and selection, which will be made accessible to the broader community, as data.org and Microsoft have committed to openness.
The grant period for successful applicants will span 7-8 months. Awardees will be announced in November 2023, and their projects are expected to be completed by the end of June 2024.
Criteria for entries:
Digital Inclusion
Public Good
Localism and IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and access)
Responsible Use
Originality
Feasibility
Technical Relevance
Organizational Capacity
Network / Ecosystem
Technical Considerations
Scalability
The Challenge is rooted in the fundamental objective of ensuring responsible AI that serves the public good. To achieve this, the Challenge Design Philosophy lays out essential considerations that will guide the application design and the judging processes for selecting participants.
The evaluation of applications for the Challenge will be conducted by distinguished professionals with expertise in social sector skill development and experts well-versed in the impact of emerging technologies, including generative AI.
The Challenge winners will receive cash grants, cloud computing resources, and expert guidance from Microsoft AI specialists, as detailed in the shared document by the organizations. Furthermore, they will participate in data training, and all these valuable benefits combined have a total value of USD 250,000.
The Executive Director of data.org, Danil Mikhailov, said that Generative AI possesses the potential to revolutionize our approach to global challenges, primarily due to its remarkable scalability. However, he emphasizes the importance of applying it with awareness of its limitations and a strong focus on community-led solutions informed by local context.
“That’s why we are pleased to partner with Microsoft to help upskill and reskill the social impact workforce using generative AI effectively and responsibly.
“Together, we are taking a significant stride towards fulfilling data.org’s commitment to training one million purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032,” he said.