TUT contributes to high-level discussions on AI for World Development Report

The University will this week join a select group of African institutions, governments, businesses and international organisations to discuss the role of AI in addressing developmental challenges.

Acting Director of the TUT AI Hub Prof Anish Kurien The discussions are part of the World Bank Group’s Institute for Economic Development (IED) regional consultations conducted in preparation for this year’s World Development Report 2026 (WDR 2026), themed “Artificial Intelligence for Development”.

TUT is represented by Prof Anish Kurien, the Acting Director of the TUT AI Hub, at the WDR 2026 Regional Consultation in Africa, taking place from 18 to 21 March 2026 at the University of Pretoria (UP).

The consultation – hosted by the IED and co-sponsored by UP’s African Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence – will focus on AI and its role in jobs and productivity. It will also examine the role of AI in service delivery, particularly in health, education, and social security programmes. The discussions will also focus on AI governance and the regulatory preparedness of developing countries.

Prof Kurien is a sought-after expert on AI in South Africa. In August 2025, he was among the experts invited by Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, to discuss the formation of a network of experts to craft sectoral implementation plans in preparation for the rollout of the approved AI policy. 

In 2024, TUT published a study by Prof Kurien and Dr Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo, the Director of Government Affairs in Africa for Intel, that found that many Sub-Saharan countries were less ready to take advantage of the economic opportunities that could be generated through the adoption of AI. The study, titled “A Study on the AI Landscape of Universities in Africa”, also provides indicators on the readiness of the continent to equip its workforce with AI skills.

The “World Development Report 2026: Artificial Intelligence for Development” will be released later in the year, while the regional discussions and perspectives will inform the report’s analytical framework and policy recommendations.