WAAA WEEKLY AI INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING – 19 September 2026

For AI Academies and Universities Teaching AI

With a Focus on Low- and Middle-Income Countries

This week's live webinar, W012, took place on Saturday 19 September 2026 at 1pm Dublin, on the topic "A Global Fund for AI Solutions – What Needs to Be Done Now!" The session examined what a workable global fund for AI solutions would mean for research funding, training infrastructure and student ventures at AI academies, building on UN Secretary-General António Guterres's own call earlier this year for a global AI fund to ensure AI benefits everyone.

A video on this topic will be uploaded soon to our YouTube channel @AIGrandad999.alanross and to our 10 language-specific channels (e.g. @AIGrandad999.alanross.Spanish, @AIGrandad999.alanross.Hindi, etc.), where there are now over 24 long and 12 short videos on each channel covering the AI and technology disruptions that will affect your country, alongside our recent video "Humanity's Biggest Moonshot" on how the World Bank's World Development Report could be implemented. We encourage you to view and share these with your networks and to ask them to subscribe so they are notified whenever a new video is uploaded.

Our next free webinar, W013, is on Saturday 3 October 2026 at 1pm Dublin, on the topic: "Eliminating the Digital Divide – A Pilot Proposal for MDBs and UN to Consider." For WAAA members, the pilot's national AI training academy component is central to the proposal and  a chance to see how academies could be positioned as delivery partners if MDBs and the UN take it forward. The proposal calls on multilateral development banks and the UN to run a small pilot combining solar power, national AI training academies and rapid deployment of already-proven AI solutions . This would be done in a handful of countries, building on the World Bank's 2026 World Development Report, to test how this combination could measurably narrow the digital divide before recommending it for wider scale-up.

Register now: https://waaa.academy/webinar-registration

Zoom joining details for registered attendees:

Topic: Eliminating the Digital Divide-A Pilot Proposal for MDBs and UN to consider

Time: Saturday 3 October 2026, 1:00 PM Dublin

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88318199886?pwd=nbQIUHGajdnPdfe9prTSfb1uN1co9N.1

Meeting ID: 883 1819 9886  Passcode: 773754

A wider regional sweep this week — developments from Africa, Asia and Latin America relevant to our networks in the developing world. Key points only below; follow the source link for the full story.

AFRICA

1. AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND SOUTH KOREA LAUNCH JOINT AI HUB FOR AFRICA

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Republic of Korea signed an agreement in Seoul on 9 September to establish a Korea-Africa AI Hub, connecting governments, financial institutions, research centres, universities and businesses to advance responsible AI adoption and financing across Africa.

The hub builds on the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) partnership, which has channelled a cumulative $132.82 million in Korean contributions, funded more than $50 million in technical assistance, mobilised over $4 billion in financing, and supported more than 1,300 African start-ups since 2006.

AfDB President Dr Sidi Ould Tah said the initiative reflects "our shared ambition to make artificial intelligence a catalyst for economic transformation and inclusion in Africa," citing AfDB estimates that AI could add up to $1 trillion to Africa's GDP by 2035.

Why this matters for WAAA members: The hub's remit explicitly includes universities and research centres — worth approaching directly as academies look for international partners and funding routes for AI curricula and research.

Source: African Development Bank, 17 Sept 2026 https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/korea-african-development-bank-sign-deal-launch-joint-ai-hub-support-africa-96857

2. META AND THIS IS DIGITAL LAUNCH AI ACADEMY AND PITCHATHON IN KENYA

Meta and African AI accelerator This Is Digital launched an AI Academy in Kenya on 11 September, combining an AI Pitchathon for startups and developers building with Meta's AI tools with an 8-week AI Masterclass covering fundamentals, prompt engineering and productivity.

This Is Digital has already trained more than 800 "AI Champions" across 10+ African countries; Pitchathon applications close 30 September ahead of an event on 15 October, and Masterclass applications close 31 October ahead of a 3 November start.

Winners of the Pitchathon will be invited to pitch at Meta's AI Summit in Istanbul in November. Meta's Mercy Ndegwa said "the next wave of AI innovation in Kenya will come from local builders solving local problems."

Why this matters for WAAA members: A ready-made, free 8-week AI Masterclass and pitch competition that academies can point students toward now, plus a live case study of an "AI Champions" training model already proven across 10+ countries.

Source: BiznaKenya, 14 Sept 2026 https://biznakenya.com/meta-this-is-digital-launch-ai-academy-kenya-to-boost-local-ai-talent/

3. PAN-AFRICAN "ASKYA AI GROWTH" PROGRAMME OPENS FOR APPLICATIONS

Askya Investment Partners, founded by former Digital Africa CEO Babacar Seck, opened applications on 17 September for its Askya AI Growth Platform, a programme for African AI startups with working products and early commercial traction.

The programme takes no upfront fees or equity; ten startups per cohort receive weekly one-on-one coaching, cloud and AI infrastructure access, and corporate customer introductions over six weeks (26 October – 4 December), with up to $200,000 in possible equity investment in one company post-programme.

Applications close 30 September, with the cohort presenting at Moonshot by TechCabal in Lagos on 28-29 October.

Why this matters for WAAA members: A no-cost, no-equity coaching route open to any African AI startup — including recent graduates — worth circulating to final-year students and alumni with early traction.

Source: allAfrica, 17 Sept 2026 https://allafrica.com/stories/202609170597.html

4. NIGERIAN CYBERSECURITY STARTUP AEON RAISES $1M PRE-SEED AS AI-LINKED CYBERCRIME RISES

Aeon, a Lagos-based startup building a security-operations platform for high-trust organisations, raised a $1 million pre-seed round announced 18 September, led by defence-tech startup Terra Industries with Resilience 17 (founded by a Flutterwave co-founder), Kaleo, DFS Labs and Seedstars also participating.

The round comes as INTERPOL estimates AI is now linked to 55% of reported cybercrime across Africa, with over $3 billion in financial losses recorded between 2019 and 2025.

Aeon CEO Samuel Ogbonyomi said most operators his team worked with "had a dozen security tools and no single view of their exposure," while attackers "move across all of those systems at once."

Why this matters for WAAA members: A clear, current example for cybersecurity or AI-ethics curricula of how African-built AI defence tools are responding to an AI-driven threat, with real figures to cite.

Source: TechCabal, 18 Sept 2026 https://techcabal.com/2026/09/18/terra-industries-leads-1m-round-in-aeon/

ASIA

1. KAZAKHSTAN SECURES $10 BILLION AI INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL WITH FIREBIRD AI AND NVIDIA

Kazakhstan announced a $10 billion investment from US-based Firebird AI and Nvidia (reported 15 September) to build a 100,000-GPU computing cluster as part of its planned "Data Center Valley" in Ekibastuz, targeting one gigawatt of capacity.

The government projects the cluster could generate $3 billion a year in digital export revenue; the country has also created a dedicated Ministry of AI and Digital Development, led by Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that data centres are "comparable to metallurgical plants in energy consumption," underscoring the scale of the energy planning involved.

Why this matters for WAAA members: A ministry-scale AI push of this size will need a domestic skills pipeline fast — a strong argument for regional academies to position now as training partners for a market this large.

Source: The Astana Times, 15 Sept 2026 https://astanatimes.com/2026/09/kazakhstan-seeks-digital-leverage-in-ai-race/

2. SRI LANKA PREPARES NATIONAL AI GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK AHEAD OF AI WEEK 2026

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Digital Economy confirmed preparations (14 September) for Sri Lanka AI Week 2026, running 28 September to 4 October, intended to advance AI across business, government, education and the digital economy.

Coverage ahead of the week highlighted a specific governance gap: regulatory bodies currently lack the funding and technical capacity to oversee increasingly autonomous AI systems being adopted in government and commerce.

Preparations include work on a national AI governance framework, budget allocations for regulatory oversight, and building local technical expertise to assess AI systems before wider deployment.

Why this matters for WAAA members: AI Week's explicit education strand, alongside the governance framework, is a live opportunity for regional academies to contribute curricula or training capacity as Sri Lanka builds out its programme.

Source: Lanka Newspapers, 14 Sept 2026 https://www.lankanewspapers.com/2026/09/14/sri-lanka-ai-week-2026-sets-stage-for-transforming-policy-into-real-world-impact

3. BANGLADESH ADDS AI, ROBOTICS AND CYBERSECURITY TO SCHOOL CURRICULUM FOR GRADES 6-10

Bangladesh's government confirmed (15 September) that artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and cybersecurity will be given "special priority" in textbooks for grades 6 to 10 from the next academic year, alongside mandatory technical education.

Prime Minister's Education Adviser Mahdi Amin said the reform aims to integrate technical training "without treating it as a 'taboo', as in developed countries," and affects roughly 2,500 National University-affiliated institutions.

The curriculum overhaul also adds sports and culture subjects at grade 4 and a new "Learning with Happiness" interpersonal-skills programme at grade 6.

Why this matters for WAAA members: A concrete, near-term demand signal with roughly 2,500 affiliated institutions who will need AI-qualified teachers and materials from next academic year, a clear opening for academies with teacher-training capacity.

Source: CompleteAITraining, 15 Sept 2026 https://completeaitraining.com/news/bangladesh-to-add-ai-robotics-and-cybersecurity-to-school/

4. INDIAN CHIP-VERIFICATION STARTUP VERIFAIX RAISES $5 MILLION SEED ROUND

VerifAIX, founded in 2024 by Madhulima Tewari, Kenneth Roe and Avner Landver, raised a $5 million seed round (announced 16 September) co-led by Endiya Partners and Bluehill VC.

The startup's "Formal Brain" technology combines AI with formal verification methods to help semiconductor engineering teams verify complex chip designs faster, reasoning across specifications, RTL and verification assets.

Funds will support product development, customer deployments and team expansion across the United States, India and Israel.

Why this matters for WAAA members: A strong case study for engineering and computer-science curricula on where formal methods and AI are converging in the chip industry .This is  a growing, well-paid specialisation worth introducing to advanced students.

Source: StartupTalky, 16 Sept 2026 https://startuptalky.com/news/daily-indian-funding-roundup-key-news-16-september-2026/

LATIN AMERICA

1. DATABRICKS TO INVEST $300 MILLION IN BRAZIL, TRAIN 150,000 PEOPLE IN AI AND DATA SKILLS

Databricks announced (16 September) a R$1.5 billion ($300 million) investment in Brazil over the next three years, after its local business nearly tripled in two years, driven by customer demand for data and AI transformation projects.

The investment will expand product and service offerings, grow the local workforce, strengthen a partner ecosystem already numbering 300+ organisations, and train more than 150,000 people in data and AI skills over 3.5 years.

Databricks Latin America VP Marcos Grilanda said Brazilian companies are shifting "from whether to adopt AI to implementation, governance, cost control, and integration with internal data"; named customers include Banco do Brasil, Bradesco, iFood, Natura, Nubank, Petrobras, Santander and Vale.

Why this matters for WAAA members: A named target of training 150,000 people in data and AI skills over 3.5 years is a large, time-bound demand signal  and academies able to supply certified trainers or curriculum partners have a genuine opening here.

Source: IT Forum / TeleSíntese, 16 Sept 2026 https://itforum.com.br/noticias/databricks-investira-r-15-bilhao-no-brasil/

2. MEXICO AND UNESCO AGREE RESPONSIBLE AI GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS

Mexico's Public Education Ministry (SEP) and UNESCO formalised a partnership (13 September) to develop responsible AI guidelines for classrooms nationwide, including technical assistance, teacher training and research support.

The agreement will also consider rules for cell phone and digital-device use in schools. Education Minister Mario Delgado Carrillo said the goal is to "understand what happens behind the screens and how digital platforms are designed" to protect students' wellbeing.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General Lidia Arthur Brito said "technology must serve people and education, not the other way around," stressing the need to preserve human relationships and critical thinking in learning.

Why this matters for WAAA members: Direct, near-term relevance: UNESCO technical assistance and teacher training under this agreement is exactly the kind of support academies and educators should look to plug into as guidelines are developed.

Source: CompleteAITraining, 13 Sept 2026 https://completeaitraining.com/news/mexico-signs-unesco-deal-to-guide-responsible-ai-use-in/

3. COLOMBIAN-FOUNDED EMILIA AI RAISES $1.5M TO BRING AI AGENTS TO BRAZIL'S RESTAURANTS

Emilia AI, founded by Colombian entrepreneurs Andrés Cajiao and Sebastian Rojo and operating primarily in Brazil, raised a $1.5 million pre-seed round (announced 14 September) led by Prosus Ventures, turning existing security cameras and point-of-sale data into real-time AI agents for restaurants.

Its two products, Coach and Sentinel, support staff sales training and fraud/operations monitoring respectively. Cajiao said the vision is "the next generation of operating systems for restaurants... to augment staff, not replace them."

Prosus Ventures' Matheus Campos called it "a strategic bet to deepen AI integration across our entire ecosystem, particularly in the foodservice sector."

Why this matters for WAAA members: A clear, well-documented "augment, don't replace" design philosophy that is a useful teaching example for entrepreneurship or applied-AI coursework on responsible workplace AI design.

Source: Prosus, 14 Sept 2026 https://www.prosus.com/news-insights/2026/emilia-ai-raises-dollars-1-point-5-m-led-by-prosus-ventures

4. ECUADOR DEPLOYS UAE-BUILT AI SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM ON BORDERS WITH COLOMBIA AND PERU

Ecuador began deploying AI-powered surveillance technology built by UAE defence group EDGE Group (reported 18 September) at border crossings with Colombia and Peru, aimed at detecting drug trafficking in real time.

President Daniel Noboa said the system, focused on crossings including Rumichaca and Huaquillas, is "more efficient than deploying 50,000 soldiers," noting roughly 75% of cocaine entering Ecuador crosses its northern border.

The deployment builds on strengthening Ecuador-UAE ties since 2023, which have also included a March trade agreement and a programme of 10,000 AI scholarships for Ecuadorian youth; the government has not disclosed the project's cost or full technical specifications.

Why this matters for WAAA members: The accompanying 10,000 AI scholarships for Ecuadorian youth, part of the same bilateral relationship, is worth researching directly as a potential funding or exchange channel for academies in the region.

Source: UPI, 18 Sept 2026 https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/09/18/latam-Ecuador-UAE-AI-technology/1121789753069

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WAAA is building a global network of AI academies, universities and educators committed to sharing resources and jointly developing AI courses, with a particular focus on LMIC countries. Members receive this free weekly briefing, invitations to our twice-monthly webinars, access to our AI-agent developer and Global AI advocates networks, and opportunities to participate in our in-country projects and initiatives currently under discussion. WAAA membership from EUR50/year; those appointed as WAAA country coordinators receive large discounts on fees and income-generating opportunities.

Contact Alan: alan.ross@waaa.academy

Remember to register for our next free webinar, W013, Saturday 3 October 2026 at 1pm Dublin on the topic: "Eliminating the Digital Divide – A Pilot Proposal for MDBs and UN to Consider."

Register now: https://waaa.academy/registration-for-webinar/

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