How 12 Countries Are Preparing Their National Research Ecosystems For AI

A new report entitled "Preparing National Research Ecosystems for AI: Strategies and Progress in 2024" from the Center for Science Futures at the International Science Council explores the impact of AI on national science and research ecosystems around the world. The report includes 12 case studies detailing advancements made and challenges faced while integrating AI into research ecosystems in Australia, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan.

By examining how these countries are integrating AI into their science and research ecosystems we may identify best practices and innovative approaches that could be adopted in other contexts. Understanding global trends and insights can help identify potential partners for collaborative research projects or knowledge exchange programs. In today's newsletter I'm sharing highlights from the report. Please see the comments section for a link to the full report.

Report Highlights

1. Australia

Preparing for human-centric use of AI

"Australia’s government, scientific organizations and universities are exploring the preparedness of the national science system to capture the opportunities and mitigate the risks of AI to accelerate scientific discovery. In 2023, Australia signed the Bletchley Declaration affirming that AI should be designed, developed and deployed in a human-centric, responsible and trustworthy manner. The Australian Academy of Science recently held a national roundtable to discuss the Australian science sector’s future supercomputing needs. The group highlighted the need for a national strategy and an exascale computing facility to secure Australia’s sovereign research capability and enable science to meet national and regional priorities into the future."

2. Benin

Anticipating the impacts of AI on West Africa’s aspiring digital services hub?

"Benin's strategy outlines a structured action plan around four programs, including one related to ‘Support for training, research, innovation, the private sector, and cooperation’. Through this program, Benin aims to support training and research by equipping universities and promoting partnerships in AI. The use of Benin’s new infrastructure and platforms will generate massive amounts of data that must be managed and valorised through the use of AI tools and technologies so that their value creation potential does not escape the Beninese economy."

3. Brazil

Reaping the benefits of AI with some cautionary notes?

"In April 2021, MCTIC presented the Brazilian National Strategy for AI to prepare the Brazilian science and innovation system for AI. The development of a national science system for AI in Brazil necessitates the implementation of public policies designed to coordinate the various enabling factors involved. Brazil’s insufficient preparation for AI and machine learning makes its national science system inconsistent with international good practices. EBIA and AI bills of law serve as the principal instruments guiding scientific research priorities and fostering a targeted innovation ecosystem in Brazil. Failure to contemporaneously advance these instruments may engender negative impacts by creating an uncertain regulatory environment for researchers and professors. Moreover, such stagnation could restrict international collaboration and funding."

4. Cambodia

Seeking AI approaches to national research missions?

"The median age in Cambodia is 27 years, with a large majority of the population integrating social media, e-commerce and mobile banking applications into their daily lives. With the unique combination of a young, tech-savvy population and a lack of legacy technologies, Cambodia has the unique characteristics to leapfrog conventional technological and industrial revolutions. Although late to the game, the timing is opportune for Cambodia to adopt AI at the national level, in an era where the power of AI is now more accessible than ever. Cambodia is charting a path towards a future where technological innovation drives progress and prosperity for all."

5. Chile

Finding possibilities to apply AI in an existing research financing ecosystem?

"Chile lacks national laboratories or ‘big facilities’ with open access to the academic community. This lack can be a significant impediment to the adoption of AI tools in an interdisciplinary manner, or a concentration of tools in university institutions with the resources to fund them. There is no culture of standardization of data formats, which means that in many disciplines curatorial work is required prior to their availability. This lack of standards is also reflected in privacy and access policies, which depend on what is established by each university or even faculty within the university. All of the above translates into a substantive challenge for the adoption of AI in an interdisciplinary manner."

6. China

Promoting the AI for Science approach?

"Chinese academic institutions, universities and leading AI enterprises are proactive in the AI4S field, with internationally influential achievements. Abundant open scientific research data resources have accumulated for AI4S, with open-source data found in meteorology, astronomy and high-energy physics. A considerable number of AI4S algorithms and foundational software have also emerged providing rich datasets, foundational models and specialized tools for AI4S research. AI4S applications are being explored in various fields including life science, material science, energy science, electronic engineering and computer science, earth and environmental science, and industrial simulation."

7. India

Gaining insights into transformative technologies and their social integration??

"With current rapid developments in data and AI infrastructure in the country, India aims to become the hub for the Global South for software tools. India is making contributions in the global AI ecosystem and Indian tech giants are promoting open-source AI contributions to democratize the technology. India served as the chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, an international initiative aiming to promote the responsible development and use of AI. The Indian government has taken various steps in developing its own roadmap for AI governance. Towards this, INDIAai organized a roundtable in February 2023 to discuss the generative AI developmental trajectory, ethics and intellectual property rights."

8. Malaysia

Enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

"Malaysia stands at the forefront of a paradigm shift in scientific inquiry, driven by the strategic deployment of AI across various sectors. Through the concerted efforts outlined in its comprehensive policy frameworks, Malaysia has laid a robust foundation for fostering AI innovation, talent development and responsible governance. As the nation continues to chart its course towards the 4IR, the integration of AI into the fabric of scientific endeavours promises to unlock new frontiers of knowledge, propel economic prosperity and foster a future where innovation knows no bounds. To foster AI talent preparation and scouting for recruitment, various upskilling and reskilling data and AI literacy programs are offered by academia, industry and their combination, in the form of certifications and courses for all layers of society."

9. Mexico

Creating a national lead agency for AI

"The proposed Mexican Agency for the Development of Artificial Intelligence represents a significant step towards the regulation and responsible promotion of AI in Mexico, but it is essential to remember that there are still more stages in the legislative process to go through. As hubs of knowledge creation and dissemination, universities lead AI research endeavors, educate the next generation of AI professionals and serve as platforms for collaboration between academia, industry and government. One of the challenges in Mexico for implementing various initiatives related to AI is the country’s austerity policy. The constraints of this policy keep Mexico locked in as a user of foreign technology. The goal should rather be for Mexico to become a producer of its own technology and, in the medium term, to export AI solutions."

10. Oman

Fostering innovation through an Executive Program?

"Oman’s commitment to AI is evident in its successful implementation across various sectors, the Ministry of Economy’s initiative to integrate AI in the national economy, the comprehensive National Data Strategy, and the focus on AI competency development. A multitude of AI-related projects have been successfully executed across diverse sectors in Oman, reflecting a strategic commitment to integrating AI into various facets of the national economy. The health sector witnessed a notable application of AI in breast cancer detection achieving a remarkable 96% success rate. The agricultural sector has adopted drones for pesticide application and palm tree pollination alongside AI techniques for early detection of pests like the dubas bug and the red palm weevil. In the oil and gas industry, AI-enhanced drones are being deployed for monitoring pipelines and detecting leaks crucial for preventing security incidents."

11. Uruguay

Following a roadmap to prepare national science systems for AI

"The Latin American AI Index recognizes Uruguay’s data capabilities and governance excellence. However, challenges persist in talent development, with a noted gap in professional AI training and a scarcity of relevant programs in regional QS-ranked universities. Building on the country’s prominent position in AI research and innovation, the next steps will involve addressing challenges, particularly in formal AI education, to ensure a sustainable and comprehensive approach to AI adoption in the scientific sector. Ongoing initiatives and achievements position Uruguay as a regional leader in AI research, development and application, and the country is now focusing on building capacity, fostering transparency and addressing challenges for a sustainable future in AI development."

12. Uzbekistan

Building the right conditions and skills for AI

"One of the main achievements under this strategy so far has been the organization of training 587,000 people in the basics of computer programming, including by attracting 500,000 young people within the framework of the project One Million Uzbek Coders. This large-scale project is a result of a partnership with the Dubai Future Foundation in the United Arab Emirates and was launched at the end of 2019. One Million Uzbek Coders is a free distance-learning platform for the general public, especially targeted at young people with students starting from age 13. This training program is currently running, and in 2021 had already reached around 500,000 students."

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Copyright ? 2024 Margaretta Colangelo. All Rights Reserved.

This article was written by Margaretta Colangelo. Margaretta is a leading AI analyst who tracks significant milestones in AI in healthcare. She consults with AI healthcare companies and writes about some of the companies she consults with. Margaretta serves on the advisory board of the AI Precision Health Institute at the University of Hawai?i?Cancer Center @realmargaretta