Abdelmonem Fawzi
Artificial intelligence (AI) is anew and powerful tool that is altering the world and making transformations in every walk of life.
AI is about machines’ ability to learn and become more human-like, opening the door for the Intelligence Revolution which is comparable to the Industrial Revolution.
However, there is an urgent need for substantially changing the process of learning itself.
It is not just technical skills that are needed in an AI world, but skills of critical reasoning, collaboration, design, visual display of information, and independent thinking, among others.
AI will reconfigure how society and the economy operate, and there needs to be ‘big picture’ thinking on what this will mean for ethics, governance, and societal impact.
Africa also needs to promote the growth of a vibrant AI ecosystem in it.
Nevertheless, structural challenges can hamper the development of a healthy AI ecosystem in our continent.
To address these challenges, an expert consultative meeting on developing a continental strategy for AI was held recently in Dakar, Senegal.
The African Union High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) has prioritised and recommended AI as an emerging technology worth harnessing for Africa’s socio-economic development.
In the APET ‘AI for Africa’ Report to be launched in December 2022, the panel provides guidelines for African countries on how best to exploit AI-based technologies for the continent’s advancement.
The high-level panel further recommended developing a continental AI strategy for Africa.
In his opening remarks, member of APET and lead on AI, Dr. William Wasswa, noted that AI is a pathfinder technology and valuable tool for economic development that cuts across economic sectors.
As a continental expert who is revolutionising health service delivery, using AI, Dr. Wasswa said that a comprehensive AU-AI Continental Strategy (AACS) would enable African countries to enhance policymaking, implement and improve stakeholder engagements on AI-related challenges and opportunities.
The strategy can help African countries comprehensively develop AI-related technology products and services within various economic sectors and also model how African countries could improve data security and safeguard the technology through enabling regulatory frameworks, he said.
AACS will guide the generation of knowledge products towards addressing myths and misconceptions around AI adoption in Africa, as well as enhance the provision of technical advice on the technology in AU member states.
The strategy should be developed in consultation with continental AI experts and stakeholders. Its development process would include integrating existing national AI strategies and consolidating their best practices for continental benefit.
AI experts at the meeting recommended that APET establish a continental repository and networking platform for AI experts.
They further challenged African countries to create an enabling environment for market-based AI policies and allow compliance with the regulatory processes of the technologies.
They encouraged the consumption and utilisation of locally generated African AI products, instead of continued reliance on imported AI ones.
The experts discussed the use of technology on the continent, speaking about their personal experiences in utilising AI for health, agriculture, and education sectors, among others.
During deliberations, African countries were encouraged to invest in human capital, which should be undertaken early enough in the curriculum to improve AI literacy across all youth and economic sectors.
In addition, African countries were challenged to establish continental, regional, and national institutes and innovation ecosystems on AI that will be responsible for coordinating AI-related technology development.
African countries can also improve and secure data protection and increase awareness of the importance of data management.
To this end, African countries can build innovation infrastructure and review policy implementation frameworks governing AI.
The experts also encouraged African countries to consolidate outputs of stakeholder engagements and address country specific barriers to AI technology to enable youth to innovate.
For example, African countries can deliberately support and promote African AI innovation companies to be global
players.
This can be accomplished by supporting local companies, instead of importing AI technologies.
Furthermore, African countries can set milestones to fast track the harnessing efforts of AI technology in Africa.
For example, countries can target 50 per cent of their youth to be familiar with AI technology by 2030.
This can be accomplished through deliberate investments in research, development, and innovation and by establishing continental, regional, and national AI institutes across the African continent.
The experts developed a draft for the strategy, outlining five key pillars.
Following this consultation, an extended group of experts will be meeting to kickstart the drafting of the strategy with the support of APET.
It is anticipated that stakeholder engagements will support the drafting, reviewing, and finalisation of the strategy.
These engagements will be held until the end of 2022, whereas the strategy is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2023.
AI is a new and powerful tool that is altering humanity too.
The history of humans’ use of technology has always been of coevolution, even as philosophers, from Rousseau to Heidegger and Carl Schmitt, had always argued that technology is never a neutral tool for achieving human ends.
