Paris, France – Celina Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Zindi, took to the Grand Palais Ai Action Summit stage in Paris,joined by distinguished panelists from Google and Boston Consulting Group to discuss the evolving impact of AI on the Future of Work. James Manyika, Senior VP for Research at Google, and Sylvain Duranton, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG together with Zindi CEO and founder, Lee, underscored the transformative potential of AI in closing economic gaps and expanding opportunities, particularly in Africa and the global South.
Moderated by Project Syndicate, Lee highlighted the urgent need for a dual approach to AI workforce development—equipping workers with AI tools while simultaneously fostering a new generation of AI builders. “The AI revolution is opening up two different areas in terms of upskilling. Of course, we need to help the people working in call centres, in marketing, or in sales to use AI tools more effectively in their work. But secondly, it’s opening up a whole new set of careers that didn’t exist before—those building the AI solutions—and that’s also where we need to invest.”
Lee emphasised that while generative AI is already enabling individuals in the Global South to leapfrog traditional barriers to expertise and experience, there remains a critical gap in access to the necessary infrastructure and training to build AI solutions tailored to local needs. “In Africa, the software isn’t always well-adapted to the specific context. We want to make sure that the builders of those solutions, the products and software, understand the market. And the best way we can do that is by diversifying the people who are building those AI solutions.”
Zindi, the largest network of data scientists in Africa, has been at the forefront of democratising AI knowledge and fostering AI talent across the continent and beyond. Through strategic partnerships with organisations such as AWS, African governments, and AI communities, Zindi is working to ensure that African innovators have the skills, resources, and opportunities needed to develop AI-driven solutions for the billion people on the continent.
The discussion also touched on the broader challenges of upskilling workers in the face of austerity measures and limited public investment in workforce development. Lee echoed the panel’s call for greater collaboration among governments, educational institutions, and employers to create incentives for AI skill-building, particularly for smaller companies that may lack the resources to invest in training programs.
Lee’s participation in this global conversation reaffirmed Zindi’s mission to empower African data scientists and AI practitioners to shape the future of AI on the continent. By equipping talent with the tools and infrastructure needed to build AI solutions tailored to Africa’s unique challenges, Zindi continues to pave the way for inclusive AI development.
For media inquiries, int Paul Kennedy paul@zindi.africa.
About Zindi
Zindi is the largest data science and AI community in Africa, connecting data scientists with real-world problems and opportunities through AI challenges, upskilling programs, and industry collaborations. With a mission to democratise access to AI skills and opportunities, Zindi is driving innovation and transformation across various sectors on the continent.
