<\/p>\n
Alphabet Inc.\u2019s Google and UK actor Idris Elba will fund access to artificial intelligence tools for African creators, with the goal of helping them produce high-quality content faster and more cheaply.<\/p>\n
The actor\u2019s Elba Hope Foundation and Google will pay for access to the tech firm\u2019s flagship Gemini AI assistant and other digital products for about 100,000 creators in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Sierra Leone to the value of about $1 million, Google Senior Vice President for Research and Technology James Manyika said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think about all those creatives who don\u2019t have access to these enormous studio budgets,\u201d said Manyika in an interview. \u201cAI is potentially a tool that can enable them to do work that they couldn\u2019t otherwise do because they don\u2019t have huge budgets.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Elba is positioning himself as a key investor in Africa\u2019s creative economy, and has said that he would also set up a physical presence on the continent within the next few years to expand the industry and scale up production infrastructure. The region, which is home to the world\u2019s youngest and fastest-growing population, currently has fewer than 3,000 cinema screens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe barrier is not a lack of vision \u2014 it\u2019s a lack of access,\u201d Elba said on a video call at Google\u2019s AI summit in Johannesburg on Wednesday. \u201cTalent is everywhere, opportunity is not.\u201d<\/p>\n
The actor and entrepreneur has previously discussed setting up a creative village in Ghana and a studio complex in Zanzibar, with a focus on creating culturally accurate content for global streaming giants. Google owns YouTube, the world\u2019s largest video-sharing platform.<\/p>\n
Elba has also ventured into the African fintech space through his Akuna Wallet, which will assist creators with cross-border payments.<\/p>\n
The continent\u2019s broader media and entertainment market, currently valued at about $93 billion, is projected to climb to $118 billion by 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence.<\/p>\n
Google will pick 15 African startups for its AI-focused program from July 21 as part of its plans to back 50 ventures on the continent by 2028, Manyika said.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
#Google #actor #Idris #Elba #fund #African #creator #access<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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