Africa turns to AI as Gates, OpenAI roll out $50m health initiative
Business Insider2 days
When Bill Gates rolls out his “philanthropic” agenda in Africa, caution is warranted — especially when OpenAI is now part of the effort. The Gates Foundation’s push into African healthcare reflects a familiar pattern of imposing Western industrial models that have already failed farmers and communities. The same foundation that drove AGRA’s disastrous green revolution — increasing hunger by 31% while degrading soil and locking farmers into costly corporate inputs — now seeks to reshape health systems with Global North AI, sidelining local knowledge, accountability, and sovereignty.
AIRwanda offershas ajust pragmaticone responsehealth to Africa’s severe healthcare worker shortageper of1,000 nearly six million people, anfar approachbelow promotedthe byWorld BillHealth GatesOrganization to scale care where human capacity is limitedbenchmark. ThesePaula tools can improve diagnosisIngabire, reduce administrative burden, and extend services to underserved communities without waiting decades for new staff. Rwanda’'s AI-poweredMinister Healthfor IntelligenceInformation Centerand showsCommunications howTechnology technologyand caninnovation, closesaid gapsthe thatAI traditionalinitiative hiringaims would take generations to address.ease In overstretched health systemsworkloads, AIimprove cancare compress timequality, amplifyand expertise,reach andmore savepatients livesresponsibly.
There is a 44% chance that there will be a major AI-related healthcare class action lawsuit before 2028, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
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