Leveraging AI techniques and ideas in Malawi

INCEPTION

KAI Lab is based at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences. The lab was established in 2022 by Amelia Taylor, with its foundational ideas emerging in 2020/1. The lab grew from ideas Dr. Amelia Taylor began developing in 2020–2021 to create a space where Malawian researchers, students, and innovators could explore how artificial intelligence can address local challenges responsibly and effectively. Through projects in legal informatics, data governance, and generative AI for public health and education, KAI Lab has become a leading voice for ethical and context-aware AI in Malawi. My goal in founding the lab was to build a sustainable foundation for AI research and innovation that reflects African priorities and empowers local expertise.



FOCUS

The emphasis of the lab is on research in computer science / data science / Artificial Intelligence with a software engineering component. We aim to:

  1. Develop meaningful technological solutions.
  2. Conduct scaleable and ethical research.
  3. Publish and disseminate our research.
  4. Establish collaborations with other research groups nationally and internationally.
  5. Develop datasets that support innovation and research.


MISSION

The mission of the KAI Lab is to facilitate debate, discussions, to create a channel for exchange of ideas, to foster innovation and to bring together those engaged with exploring or actively using AI in Malawi (and beyond). We aim to do testing, experimenting and developing AI solutions suitable for real problems in Malawi.