Artificial Intelligence and International Development According to Jean Van Wetter, CEO of ENABEL
Roundtable: AI and International Development – Belgium-Québec Perspectives
Episode 1/6: “What if AI compelled us to completely rethink international cooperation?”
For Jean Van Wetter, Director General of Enabel, the future of cooperation won’t be a top-down North-South relationship, but a true partnership built around shared global challenges. 🌍
In this first episode of our roundtable series on #ArtificialIntelligence and #InternationalDevelopment – Belgium-Canada Perspectives – he shares his vision for the future of cooperation and tackles some essential questions:
-
Will AI deepen inequalities, or could it help developing countries leapfrog them?
-
Can Africa become a driving force for innovation in digital technology and AI?
-
How can we harness data from development projects to drive more effective action?
-
What role should Europe and Canada play in shaping ethical and inclusive AI governance?
💬 “Africa has its own strengths and opportunities. Europe and Canada’s added value lies in our ethical reflections and regulatory frameworks. It’s up to us to make these the foundation of a true partnership.” – Jean Van Wetter
🎥 This first clip kicks off our 6-part video series from the roundtable “AI & International Development”, held in Brussels and organized by YULCOM Technologies, in partnership with FARI.
📌 Each week, we’ll spotlight voices from Belgium, Canada, and Africa as we collectively imagine a more ethical, inclusive, and locally relevant AI future.
🔜 In the next episode, Grégory Dopasse will explore frugal AI, local infrastructures, legal frameworks, and Euro-African co-construction. He’ll also raise a crucial question:
Can we build local, ethical, and autonomous AI without imposing external models?
