Hi Ayodele here,

This week’s developments show how Africa is strengthening both its digital backbone and its global presence in AI. Google is rolling out four new subsea cable hubs to improve connectivity across the continent while investing $9 million in AI research and training for millions of students. Meanwhile, Tunisia is gearing up to host the Global AI Congress Africa 2025, a gathering of thousands of experts, startups, and global tech players focused on practical AI applications.

This edition highlights how investments in infrastructure and international collaboration are helping Africa accelerate its AI journey.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• Google expands connectivity in Africa with new cable hubs and $9M AI investment

• Tunisia to host Global AI Congress Africa 2025 in Sousse

Around Africa

Google expands connectivity in Africa with new cable hubs and $9M AI investment

Google is setting up four new subsea cable hubs across north, south, east, and west Africa to improve internet connectivity between African countries and the rest of the world. These hubs will tie into existing infrastructure like the Equiano and Umoja routes and support key cities in Nigeria, Kenya, and Namibia.

Alongside connectivity, Google is investing $9 million in AI research and training at African universities and research institutions targeting roughly 3 million students. To date Google has already delivered over $17 million in funding, curricula, and advanced model access to African institutions.

Why This Matters
These moves deepen Africa’s digital infrastructure and build local capacity in AI which are essential for unlocking economic growth, improving access to information, and ensuring youth can tap into future-oriented opportunities.

Tunisia to host Global AI Congress Africa 2025 in Sousse

The Global AI Congress Africa (GAICA) 2025, will be held at Novation City, Sousse, Tunisia with around 6,000 participants, 134 international speakers, 110 exhibitors, and over 200 start-ups. It is organized by Novation City in partnership with TPM Events and supported by GIZ and Tunisia’s Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.

The event focuses on practical and inclusive AI use across agriculture, digital health, finance, governance, and sustainable cities. Key components include keynote panels, a Technology Hall, a Start-up Hall, a Business Hall, workshops, hackathons, and masterclasses to train AI engineers.

Major global tech names like NVIDIA and Meta are sponsoring or attending. Tunisia aims to position itself as a technological hub bridging Africa and the rest of the world.

Why It Matters:

GAICA 2025 could catalyze Africa’s AI ecosystem by fostering homegrown innovations, building capacity, and opening up partnerships which could help the continent compete globally while addressing local challenges.

Around the World

YouTube unveils Ask Studio AI chatbot for creators

YouTube introduced Ask Studio, a chatbot that lets creators query analytics, like viewer drop-off points, comment sentiment, or high-engagement moments, to inform their content strategy. They also added enhanced dubbing that syncs lip movements to dubbed languages for a more natural international viewing experience. New A/B testing features allow creators to test different thumbnail and title combinations to see what performs best. These tools were unveiled at YouTube’s Made On YouTube event.

Amazon adds always-on AI agent to Seller Assistant

Amazon is updating its Seller Assistant with an always-on AI agent that helps third-party sellers manage their businesses more efficiently. The agent can monitor account health and inventory, flag slow-moving products to avoid long storage fees, analyze demand patterns and suggest shipments, and check compliance with product safety rules in different countries. It can also develop strategy when authorized and assist with ad creation using conversational prompts. Sellers remain in control even though the agent takes on more proactive tasks.

Meta unveils Ray-Ban smart glasses with built-in display

Meta introduced new Ray-Ban smart glasses that include a built-in display over the right lens for apps, alerts, directions and live translation. The glasses are paired with a wristband called Meta Neural Band that uses subtle hand gestures via electromyography to control the device. They run apps like Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook hands-free and feature speakers, microphones and cloud connectivity. Priced at $799, the device launches September 30 and offers about 18 hours of battery life and water resistance.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• AI-driven Private Schools are Popping Up Around the U.S

  AI-driven private schools like Alpha Schools are expanding across the U.S. with models that limit core academics to two hours per day and use AI tools to personalize lesson plans. Students alternate 25-minute subject sessions with breaks and spend afternoons developing life skills like public speaking and financial literacy in workshop-style settings. Teachers are replaced with “guides” earning $100,000 per year who coach rather than lecture.
  Read the full article: AI-driven Private Schools are Popping Up Around the U.S.

• The Myth of Shareholder Victory in AI
  Scott Galloway argues that AI’s greatest potential lies in spreading value to stakeholders like communities and consumers instead of being concentrated in the hands of a few shareholders. He points out that foundational tech like vaccines, open-source software, and GPS benefited society broadly rather than creating monopolies. Recent developments like DeepSeek highlight how powerful tools can emerge outside elite, expensive systems. Galloway challenges the idea that shareholder value should be the primary measure of success in the AI era.

  Read the full article: The Myth of Shareholder Victory in AI

• AI Will Change What It Means to Be Human

  Tyler Cowen and Avital Balwit explore how AI systems are rapidly reaching and surpassing human cognitive capabilities across many domains, challenging our long-held sense of intellectual uniqueness. They argue this transformation isn’t just about jobs or economy but about identity and meaning, as people cope with being no longer the smartest entities in any room. This era of “superintelligent machines” prompts urgent questions about purpose, dignity, and what remains uniquely human.

  Read the full piece: AI Will Change What It Is to Be Human

Seen This?

Upcoming African AI Events

Digital African Conference and Exhibition 2025
Dates: 28-29 October, 2025
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Theme: “Sovereign Intelligence: Africa’s Voice in the Global AI Order,” focusing on AI governance, indigenous AI solutions, and Africa’s role in shaping global AI norms.
Link: Digital African Conference and Exhibitio

AI Expo Africa 2025
Dates: 29–31 October 2025
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Theme: Africa’s largest enterprise AI trade show, featuring case studies, RPA solutions, smart tech demos, and the ITU “AI for Good” Impact Africa Summit in collaboration with the UN.
Link: AI Expo Africa 2025

DSN AI Bootcamp 2025
Dates: 20–24 October 2025
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Theme: A competitive, all-expenses-paid bootcamp for 200+ top AI talents, offering world-class training, hackathon finals, project showcases, and community events like AI Career Day.
Link: DSN AI Bootcamp 2025

DatafestAfrica 2025
Dates: 18 October 2025
Location: Nigeria
Theme: A premier platform for data and AI professionals to learn, network, and share best practices, supported by organizations like Microsoft and Sterling Bank. Past editions featured speakers from Deloitte, PwC, Google, and MTN.
Link: DatafestAfrica 2025 

SingularityU South Africa Summit 2025
Dates: 22–23 October 2025
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Theme: “Igniting Africa’s Future,” exploring robotics, AI, biotech, and exponential technologies, with 40+ speakers and a hands-on tech expo.
Link: SingularityU South Africa Summit 2025

AI Job Opportunities

• RWS Group - AI Data Specialist, Nigeria

• Strivo Labs – Langchain & n8n Expert, Nigeria

• Africlimate AI – Research Associate, Rwanda

• Elixir Digital — AI LLMOps Engineer, South Africa

• High Five — Artificial Intelligence Engineer, South Africa

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