Africa’s need for artificial intelligence

Who said that Africa doesn’t need strongmen, but rather it needs strong institutions? It was the former US President Barack Obama.

He once condemned African tyrants for enriching themselves and their families and urged Africans to demand better strategies to fight diseases, poverty and ignorance. He cited the “genocide” in Darfur and terrorism in Africa.

What is happening today, for the African leaders who have jaundiced views for people’s power out there. The African politics is the only form of the known artificial intelligence (AI) taking place with a “U” turn in last few years.

We have seen many changes in African politics. The likes of Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.

The first modern Africa AI laboratory has been opened in Accra, Ghana. When Africans hear about AI, they are comparing it with the science fiction stuff.

However, in reality it’s time to understand that AI applies to everyday life from virtual digital assistants, language translation and to many other possibilities which are research based and to be adopted.

AI in Africa is to be applied in many different sectors such as education, agriculture, health, etc.

It has been made clear that Google’s AI efforts in Africa is to build home-grown solutions that can solve African problems effectively rather than just importing solutions.

Back to African traditional ways of doing things; whatever is happening to African strongmen who are not ready to collaborate with realities of change, emerging technologies, social media and transparency is fixing them. It’s time they take note.

Better late than never. Artificial intelligence (AI) comes with a wide range of capabilities that can be adapted in every sector. Due to incredible emerging technologies in this sector, AI has facilitated the growth of digital economy.

Different countries have realized its immense potential and are promoting it for good.

It’s time for Africans came up with their unique AI strategies.

Nations’ selective focus on various aspects such as big data, building digital infrastructure, education, scientific research, public and private sector partnership (PPP) adoption, talent development and other different options as it seems fit is a must. How much longer will Africans keep lagging behind when it comes to leapfrogging?

The strongmen are leaving weak institutions behind them.

It’s time for selective listening for all the African strongmen or else the killer serependiously event will bypass them without knowing.

The writing for such events is all over Africa. AI is waiting to happen. As the saying goes; there is no hurry in Africa.

In early 2019, President Donald Trump took a courageous step by signing an executive order on “Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” That order was an initiative to “drive technological breakthroughs in AI across the Federal Government, private sector, and academia in order to promote economic competitiveness, scientific discovery and national security.”

Furthermore, his signed executive order encourages institutions to “facilitate access to big data and fully traceable Federal data, models, and computing resources, hence availing the investments needed in AI research & development.” On the other hand, Canada was the first nation in the world to announce its national AI strategy in March 2017.

It’s government’s federal budget had a five-year Canadian Artificial Intelligence strategy.

The Canada’s AI strategy is selectively focused on research and talent. It lacks policies found in other strategies such as investments in skills development, big data and privacy. It’s shared vision is to ensure Canada is a leader in AI training, research & development.