NAIROBI (Reuters) - Ethiopia has signed a preliminary agreement to develop infrastructure for data mining and artificial intelligence training operations, the government's strategic investment arm said. The EIH, West Data Group and an official from the Information Network Security Administration, which oversees data mining in Ethiopia, did not respond to requests for comment about the deal. Bloomberg reported last week that Ethiopia has become a leading destination for bitcoin mining - which an Ethiopian official referred to in a statement to the news agency as "data mining" and "high-performance computing" - since the government authorised the practice in 2022. China banned crypto trading and mining in 2021 to control financial risks and reduce energy consumption. It is also finalising construction of the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD), which has a projected installed capacity of 5,150 MW.

Source: Ethiopian News February 16, 2024 12:52 UTC