In understanding the science of intelligence, the Wits MIND Institute aims to transform Africa from being mere consumers of AI applications to building the next generation of intelligent AI systems. The Wits MIND Institute is setting the stage for innovation that could shape AI on a global scale – grounded in African perspectives and developed to address the continent’s unique challenges.
In addition, the Institute will actively collaborate with industry partners to develop high-value, cutting-edge technologies, including large-scale AI models with applications in financial services, healthcare, materials science, engineering, manufacturing, retail and logistics, among other areas.
The Wits MIND Institute also addresses how AI interfaces with society from an ethical and policy perspective, shaping governance and ensuring that AI development is safe, inclusive, and beneficial to all.
A unique holistic approach: Merging machine, human, and animal Intelligence
Professor Benjamin Rosman, Director of the Wits MIND Institute and Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Wits University, says that one of the Institute’s distinguishing features is its commitment to studying intelligence holistically, bringing together insights from experts in machine, human, and animal intelligence.
"This is what makes the Wits MIND Institute truly unique," says Rosman. “We aren’t just focused on machine learning or neuroscience; we’re examining intelligence from every angle, with questions such as: What are the processes underlying intelligence – whether in a person, an animal, or a machine? How do different people, animals and machines interact with each other? How can we take inspiration from natural intelligence to build more efficient machines?”
A hub of collaboration and innovation
The Wits MIND Institute’s model is founded on robust interdisciplinary collaboration and the breaking down of academic silos.
Thirty-four experts from fields as diverse as computer science, engineering, psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, anatomy, creative arts, anthropology, and governance have been selected to serve in The Wits MIND Institute’s inaugural Fellows Programme. This interdisciplinary team will drive the Institute’s mission, working in an environment that encourages the cross-pollination of ideas.
“With the Wits MIND Institute, we are not trying to think outside the box, but rather to take a box, fill it with really smart people, shake it and see what happens,” said Rosman.
The Wits MIND Institute will run deep-dive workshops, seminars, talks, and regular get-togethers where the Fellows can interact, find synergies and drive scientific discovery and innovation. Rosman adds: "By creating a space for these cross-disciplinary interactions, the Wits MIND Institute aims to supercharge AI research in entirely new directions."
To support these efforts, the Wits MIND Institute plans to appoint new AI Research Chairs across Wits University’s five faculties. This initiative will help to channel fundamental research into practical applications across multiple fields, ensuring that The Wits MIND Institute’s discoveries benefit various sectors of society.
Industry-specific innovation purpose-fit for the age of AI
The Wits MIND Institute aims to be a leader in fostering homegrown innovation that addresses Africa’s unique challenges and that positions the continent as a creator and not just a consumer of AI technologies. To this end, the Wits MIND Institute will collaborate with industry partners to develop and incubate groundbreaking technologies.
“Partnerships between universities and industries have proven to be pivotal in developing industry-specific innovation, assessing risks posed by AI, and training talent required by industry to develop, deploy and scale AI solutions,” says Professor Lynn Morris, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at Wits University.
“The Wits MIND Institute will be a world-class research hub that will partner with industry to help them prepare and become purpose-fit for the age of AI. We are in discussion with several big tech companies and industries whose leaders are very excited about the possibilities that a partnership with Wits will bring, so watch this space.”
Embedding African values in AI
The Wits MIND Institute also includes philosophers, ethicists and policy experts to address how AI will interface with society from an ethical and policy perspective, shaping governance, and ensuring that AI development is safe, inclusive, and beneficial to all.
"We want the Wits MIND Institute to be a place where new ideas in AI are connected with real-world applications in a meaningful and ethical way,” adds Morris. “By engaging with policymakers across the continent, the Institute will contribute towards developing frameworks that ensure the ethical and responsible deployment of AI technologies. This means considering how to embed African values in AI systems, and how AI impacts society at large, ensuring that our research supports long-term, sustainable growth and development."
Seat at the global AI table
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, emphasises the importance of The MIND Institute’s role in the global AI landscape:
"Africa needs an institute like the Wits MIND Institute with a bold agenda to push future-shaping AI research and innovation. By developing and deploying AI models and dictating policies that consider the culture and diversity of over one billion people on the continent, the Wits MIND Institute will ensure that Africa has a seat at the global AI table.” DM