The Wits MIND Institute, led by Professor Benjamin Rosman, has secured major support from Google.org to accelerate fundamental research in natural and artificial intelligence. Rosman was recently named to TIME magazine’s TIME100 AI list in the “Thinkers” category.
The investment will strengthen the Johannesburg-based institute’s capacity-building programs, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and policy dialogue between academia, industry, and government. Since its launch in November 2024, the institute has enrolled 34 MIND Fellows and backed more than 25 research projects across fields from reinforcement learning to digital humanities.
“The institute was conceived to place African researchers at the forefront of studying intelligence,” Rosman said. “Google.org’s support cements our ability to train talent, incubate ideas, and ensure discoveries benefit society.”
Vice-Chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi said the partnership builds on Wits’ legacy of innovation and will help position Africa as a key player in global AI development.
