{"id":1180488,"date":"2026-08-06T12:18:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T19:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.codeghost.online\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-event&p=1180488"},"modified":"2026-08-06T12:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T19:18:24","slug":"deep-learning-indaba-2026","status":"publish","type":"msr-event","link":"https:\/\/research.codeghost.online\/en-us\/research\/event\/deep-learning-indaba-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep Learning Indaba 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Microsoft is proud to be a sponsor of the Deep Learning Indaba (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, Africa\u2019s largest gathering of the artificial intelligence and machine learning community. Each year the Indaba brings together thousands of students, researchers, and practitioners from across the continent to learn, share, and strengthen African leadership in AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 edition, hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, focuses on Sovereign Intelligence: the ability for Africa to build, steward, and understand its own systems, its own data, and its own scientific direction. That mission sits at the heart of Microsoft\u2019s commitment to advancing AI that serves communities across the Global South. We are honored to support the Indaba as a sponsor and to take part through technical exchange, mentorship, and direct engagement with the students and researchers shaping AI on the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft\u2019s participation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Research anchors our technical participation at the Indaba, as part of a coordinated Microsoft presence that also includes Microsoft Government Affairs Africa, Microsoft AI for Good, and the Office of Responsible AI. We are at the Indaba as contributors to the ecosystem, bringing our research directly to the researchers and builders shaping AI on the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workshops and sessions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Research Africa co-organizes \u201cBeyond Benchmarks: Scaling Multi-Turn Participatory AI Evaluations in Health and Education (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/em>,\u201d together with YUX and Kitala. Our researchers also present technical work across the programme, including the accepted PazaBench<\/strong> paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsored session<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft hosts \u201cHow Foundation Models Are Transforming Science, and Why Africa Matters<\/strong><\/em>,\u201d alongside invited talks and panels from AI for Good<\/a> and MGA Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At our booth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the week, our researchers will be at the Microsoft Research booth to meet attendees, continue conversations from the sessions, and go deeper on the research we are pursuing across Africa and the Global South. Feedback from the community year after year is that the mentorship and one-on-one conversations are among the most valued parts of the Indaba, and the booth is where much of that happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Program highlights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Indaba 2026 programme spans a rich set of workshops and sessions on African AI. We are proud to take part in this community and to see the breadth of work on the continent, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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