Shakir Mohamed

ML with Social Purpose. @[email protected] | Research Scientist @DeepMind | Strengthening African ML @DeepIndaba. He/Him. South African 🇿🇦🏳️‍🌈🌍

[Shakir Mohamed @shakir_za]

Very honoured to be included in this year’s #Time100AI list of influential people in AI🎈And more so the humbling messages from so many people ❤️. The work on directing AI to social purpose remains, and the ownership and inclusion of global communities🌍
https://t.co/b64ttCmuLl

[InstaDeep @instadeepai]

Hand in hand for Africa’s AI future 🤝 This year's @DeepIndaba in Kigali, saw the African AI community come together under the theme Urunana (“hand in hand”) to exchange knowledge and celebrate the incredible talent shaping Africa’s AI journey. 🌍

See the highlights below. 🧵⬇️

[Vukosi Marivate 🇿🇦🚀📊 @vukosi]

News is finally out on #DLI2026

2026 Indaba heads to Nigeria @DeepIndaba

[Vukosi Marivate 🇿🇦🚀📊 @vukosi]

🚨 From #DLI2025: AU’s Lerato Mataboge — “AI can be the great divider or the great bridge. Africa chooses to lead.” Urunana (hand in hand) is our call: partner, mentor, support scholarships & multilingual AI 🌍✨ Watch 🎥 https://t.co/UEbu9r53BM

[Benedict Quartey @Benedict_Q]

Had a great time sharing some thoughts with the folks @iafrikan on AI, Robotics and Research yesterday. The atmosphere at @DeepIndaba in Kigali 🇷🇼 is absolutely electrifying!

#DLI2025 #Indaba2025 #Urunana

[AirQo @AirQoProject]

#DYK that satellite data + #AI can uncover hidden pollution hotspots in African cities?

At @DeepIndaba #DLI2025 poster session in Kigali 🇷🇼, our team showcased how we’re using AI to transform #airquality management:
🔹 Estimating & validating #AirPollution by combining satellite data with on-ground monitors.
🔹 Detecting stationary pollution sources like factories using machine learning & satellite imagery.
🔹 Turning complex datasets into actionable insights that policymakers and communities can use to build cleaner, healthier cities.

We’re excited to share, learn, and collaborate with Africa’s #AI community, driving innovations that improve #AirQuality in African Cities

@pro_napro

[Siobhan Mackenzie Hall @smhall97]

I’ll be live tweeting from the Centring Data in African AI workshop happening in Kigali at the #DLI2025

[iAfrikan.com @iafrikan]

🔴 #DLI2025 LIVE
"Who governs AI in Africa?" Keynote panel tackling the big questions on sovereignty, ethics, and opportunity. Grateful for the expertise of Virginia Dignum, Vukosi Marivate, and Barbara Glover. #AIPolicyInAfrica #URUNANA

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

🌟Celebrating African research excellence at #DLI2025! 🌟

The Kambule Doctoral Award recognises and encourages excellence in research and writing by doctoral candidates at African universities, in any area of computational and statistical sciences. This award celebrates African research excellence and honours Thamsanqa Kambule’s legacy as a defender of learning, seeker of knowledge, and activist for equality.

👏 Congratulations to Lexy Andati (Rhodes University & SARAO) and Geraud Nangue Tasse ( University of the Witwatersrand).

#DLI2025 #Indaba2025 #Urunana

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Another important session at #DLI2025.

The Women in Machine Learning (WIML) event was dedicated to an open discussion on the challenges women face in the field, and to exploring potential solutions.

The conversation continued at the community social, where connections were strengthened and new bonds were forged, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the Indaba.

#DLI2025 #Indaba2025 #Urunana

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Recapping Day 3 at #DLI2025!

Day 3 brought together founders and innovators driving the future of African AI startups. The discussion explored how homegrown startups are tackling real-world challenges in healthcare, agriculture, and finance with cutting-edge AI solutions.

The session highlighted the unique opportunities and the vital importance of rooting innovation in African contexts and communities. A huge thank you to the panellists for inspiring the next generation of leaders!

#DLI2025 #Urunana #Indaba2025

[SunbirdAI @SunbirdAI]

Birds meet AI! Sunbird AI is at @DeepIndaba #DLI2025! showcasing Bioacoustics sensors that classify bird sounds in the wild using edge AI. Conservation just got smarter.

Dive in: https://t.co/iWuUGmF8CL

#EdgeAI #AIforConservation #BirdConservation #SunbirdAi #AIForSocialGood

[LyngualLabs @LyngualLabs]

Thrilled to share our paper on multilingual ASR for code-switched Yoruba-English speech was accepted at @DeepIndaba

#LyngualLabs #LowResourceAI #SpeechRecognition #DLI2025

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Following a day of deep-dive tutorials, attendees at #DLI2025 got to put their knowledge to the test in practical, hands-on sessions!

@tejuafonja, Annie Qurat Ul Ain, and @jabez_magomere guided the Large Language Model practical, demystifying complex concepts and providing a chance to work with the technology directly. Simultaneously, Siddarth Singh, Sasha Abramowitz, and Ruan de Kock led the Reinforcement Learning session, turning theory into practice.

[Data Science for Social Impact (DSFSI) @ DLI2026 @DSFSI_Research]

Day 2 at the @DeepIndaba in Kigali was full of inspiration and energy! 🌍 Over 1,000 African researchers, developers, and engineers are here to learn, debate, and share. #DLI2025

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Another amazing Keynote at #DLI2025 by @sanmikoyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at @Stanford , Co-Founder of @VirtueAI_co , and President of @black_in_ai, on “Beyond Benchmarks: Building a Science of AI Measurement.” 🧪

Sanmi made a compelling case for moving beyond static benchmarks toward a rigorous science of AI measurement, one that is more reliable, scalable, and meaningful for guiding research, deployment, and policy.
This keynote was a powerful reminder that the future of AI depends not just on what we build, but on how we measure it. 📏✨

#urunana #Indaba2025 #AIinAfrica #AIResearch

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

🎓 We’re excited to announce the Faculty Engagement Session at #DLI2025 !
This special session will bring together African academics to explore the challenges and opportunities in advancing AI research and education on the continent. It will feature a panel discussion, mentorship circles, and policy forums — all aimed at building stronger, more connected AI faculty networks across Africa.
The panel will feature @ulrichpaquet (@AIMSacza ), @vodumuyiwa ( @UnilagNigeria, @nithub_lag ), Esther Gathenya Khakata and Njeri Ngaruiya-Ng'ang'a (@StrathU ), Paul Amayo (@UCT_news ), and will be moderated by Shruti Sheth (@Google ).
We’ll close with an open networking session to connect, collaborate, and inspire each other.
🌐 Virtual registration is still open — join us online!
👉 Register: https://t.co/wprEalaqKF
🔗 More info: https://t.co/ulNg2z19Nd
#Indaba2025
#Urunana

[Kalisto 👨🏾‍⚕️| @kalimunzwa]

Row completed at the @DeepIndaba 👌🏾👌🏾 #DLI2025 #Urunana

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

Celebrating African research excellence at #DLI2025!

The Alele-Williams Masters Award honours outstanding research and writing by master's candidates at African universities, upholding Grace Alele-Williams’ legacy as a defender of learning, seeker of knowledge, and activist for equality.

Congratulations to Cynthia Amol and Keneilwe Mokoka

#Urunana #indaba2025

[Deep Learning Indaba @DeepIndaba]

A truly thought-provoking keynote at #DLI2025 by @verena_rieser !

Her talk, "Whose Gold?", challenged the idea of a single “gold standard” for AI alignment. It was a powerful call to action: moving beyond narrow safety metrics to embrace a pluralistic approach that accounts for our diverse, and sometimes conflicting, human values.

#Indaba2025 #Urunana