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Karim Beguir, co-founder of InstaDeep: People are too gloomy about AI

Ed Butler speaks to Karim Beguir, co-founder and boss of Africa鈥檚 biggest artificial intelligence firm InstaDeep, about how AI can benefit the developing world

鈥淧eople are too gloomy about AI, particularly in the developing world it is seen as a threat, that people are going to be using AI systems, rather than offshoring jobs and the like. That's true, but you could use AI yourself and develop solutions to the challenges you have in your community, in your country, and create unprecedented wealth.鈥

麻豆社 presenter Ed Butler speaks to Karim Beguir, co-founder and boss of InstaDeep, Africa鈥檚 biggest AI firm.

InstaDeep鈥檚 technology played a key role during the pandemic, tracking new disease variants to support the development of targeted vaccines. And while he acknowledges artificial intelligence does need control and direction, he believes it has the potential to bring enormous benefit to the developing world.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the 麻豆社, including episodes with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and political economist Professor Helen Thompson. You can listen on the 麻豆社 World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on 麻豆社 Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Ed Butler
Producer: Hannah Mullane, Niamh McDermott, Lucy Sheppard
Editors: Justine Lang and Damon Rose

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterview麻豆社 on social media.

(Image: Karim Beguir Credit: JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Wed 11 Mar 2026 23:06GMT

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