- Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in Africa’s socio-economic and political development.
- Currently, tech giant Google is funding the deployment of AI in Africa.
- Google is exploring how AI can address poverty, hunger, and disease in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Executive Council of the African Union (AU) has resolved that education systems provide the basis for building a strong foundation for Africa’s future, with the powblack friday wig sale custom sublimated hockey jerseys durex intense vibrations ring custom nfl football jerseys custom nfl football jerseys johnny manziel jersey deuce vaughn jersey brock purdy jersey custom maple leafs jersey custom youth hockey jerseys brock purdy jersey fsu football jersey nike air max 90 futura brock bowers jersey blundstone uomo er of Artificial Intelligence (AI) taking center stage.
The resolution was reached at the 44th Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa from Valentine’s Day through to February 15, 2024.
This meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers of all African countries was conducted under the theme: “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.”
It involved the evaluation of performance reports of the various African Union institutions and organizations, and most importantly, deliberation on the 10-year implementation plan of Africa’s Agenda 2063.
In this regard, it is vital to take a closer look at AI’s potential to catalyze Africa’s progress in education and innovation.
Focusing on digital transformation, this year’s AU Summit has chosen the defining topic of ‘education’ as the engine that will nurture African-led innovations and foster socio-economic growth hinged on technology.
Considering that this 37th African Union (AU) Summit is co-hosted by the tech giant Google, it is high time that African leaders dedicate both policy reform and investment redirection towards technology-centered education.
To this end, the private sector plays a significant role. As such, the Africa Business Forum (ABF) 2024, which is also co-hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has a unique opportunity to water Africa’s seeds of innovation.
Read also: How Africa’s infrastructure gaps are catastrophe to economic transformation
AI: Boosting Africa’s education systems
“Boosting Africa’s Transformation Through Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation” is the theme for this year’s Africa Business Forum. The theme reflects the readiness of Africa’s business to embrace and even bring about new advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“It is AI that will revolutionize how the world addresses its biggest challenges, drives economic growth, and unleashes new opportunities in African economies and around the world,” notes Google’s Karan Bhatia who is the Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Google.
“As a longstanding partner in Africa’s digital transformation journey, Google is actively supporting the AU’s mission to create greater prosperity for the region by promoting economic growth and accelerating regional integration,” he writes.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, “increasingly, Africa is a place where innovation begins and spreads to the rest of the world.”
To support this sprouting new reality, Google recently announced an initiative called the Digital Futures Project designed to support researchers, academics, and organizations and propel African-led independent research and analysis for the responsible development of AI.
“Our first grantee in Africa, the African Leadership University Foundation, will explore how AI can address poverty, hunger, and disease in Sub-Saharan Africa, propose AI governance frameworks that can mitigate potential risks, and study AI’s impact on social equality and economic opportunity,” Bhatia further writes.
Already, Google has set up AI Research Labs in Accra, Ghana (2018) and Nairobi, Kenya (2022). These labs, led by African technicians with support from Google experts, work on advancing AI research.
The technicians have placed a core focus on food security, disaster management, and remote sensing.
“Our local researchers collaborate with partners across the continent and the globe to work on AI-based tools to create change for communities in Africa and the world,” reveals the Google tech guru.
Summing up, he points out that; “At Google, we believe that African-led innovation will be important to addressing many of the enduring challenges we face.”
AI in Africa: Education, food security, culture, good governance
There are many ways AI can and is already helping Africa on the health and food security frontiers.
There are AI-enabled flood forecasting tools that support communities at risk of climate crisis across Africa. With the ability to predict upcoming major weather events, AI helps decision-makers advice farmers on the best course of action.
There is even AI to help improve medical practice like the one applied by Jacaranda Health, a Kenyan nonprofit that works to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies in government hospitals.
AI is increasingly affecting the everyday lives of Africans for the better. AI is used to enhance people’s day-to-day lives across the continent.
AI is also playing a part in exploring and deploring African creativity and culture to the rest of the world. Take for example the essential role that YouTube’s AI is playing to discover African talents.
The likes of the musician Wizkid, who has become a global sensation after becoming a hit on YouTube. AI helps discover these inspiring stories from across Africa and gives them a global audience.
“Google Arts and Culture has a long history of supporting culture, be it digitizing over 40,000 Timbuktu manuscripts to preserve Africa’s greatest written legacy, or supporting community efforts to protect UNESCO world heritage sites, like the Osun Osogbo Grove,” Bhatia cites.
“We believe that AI has the ability to accelerate economic growth and that governments and businesses in Africa can work together to make it happen,” he writes.
Overall, Google-sponsored research provides crucial assessment of some of the potential economic benefits of AI in Africa. According to the research, “…AI applications could support at least $136 billion worth of economic gains in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa by 2030, based on current growth rates.”
Read also: How AI-powered innovation is reshaping agriculture for smallholder farmers
The future of AI in Africa
While education took center stage at the Executive Council of African Union meeting in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, other topics were discussed as well including, peace and security, trade and connectivity, institutional reforms, education, agriculture and climate change, human rights, gender, and youth empowerment.
This initial meeting of the Ministers paves the way for the upcoming Heads of State meeting. Hence with AI taking center stage at the Executive Council meetings of the African Union, it follows that as the Heads of State come together, policy reforms are underway to make way for better and wider application of AI in Africa.
With education on top of the list, the Executive Council has already approved the agendas for the 37th African Union Summit. The Summit takes on February 17-18, 2024, and is attended by all African Heads of State or their representatives.
“In 2024, the African Union is set to pay special attention to education and training…the summit will also look into how the continent can maintain momentum in addressing issues of peace and security, regional integration, and development,” the Summit’s communique announced.
