Decision makers in the government and private sector have been advised to invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to benefit from the enormous advantages it presents to the development of the African continent.
Speaking at the 2023 The Monitor Thought Leaders Forum yesterday, Mr Nyimpini Mabunda, the keynote speaker, told the audience not to fear AI but focus on areas such as regulatory frameworks to counter its negative effects like fake news and lack of local skilled labour since it can address many challenges that the continent is grappling with.
“African countries have many problems which are a priority. [If] we don’t act now, we shall be left behind in areas like infrastructure, healthcare, education, and electricity where we have gaps,” he said.
Mr Mabunda, who holds several leadership roles, including chairing the Schindler South Africa, is the former chief executive officer of GE South Africa, and Vodacom Consumer Business Unit.
He is also the former chairman of the US–South Africa Business Centre, a division of the Washington-based US Chamber of Commerce, a former board member at the American Chamber of Commerce, a former senior adviser at Boston Consulting Group, and a former chairman of Gammatek Africa’s largest manufacturer and distributor of mobile technology accessories.
Mr Mabunda also highlighted the impact and disruptions of AI in Africa and also discussed whether to consider it as a friend or enemy given its advantages and disadvantages.
He said had South Africa deployed AI a few years ago, it wouldn’t have suffered from natural disasters like tornadoes, wildfires, and floods because it would have been able to predict their occurrence.
A panel discusses the impact of Artificial Intelligence during the Monitor leaders’ forum.
He said last year, Ghana deployed Google AI to predict locusts that used to destroy crops and it improved crop yields from 40 percent to 70 percent.
Mr Mabunda said they can deploy AI to improve the healthcare of their employees, the productivity of their companies, address the shortage of road infrastructure in Africa, manage transport, and improve agricultural productivity.
It can also increase access to electricity, and uptake of science, technology, and mathematics in Africa where robots can be used to replicate teachers.
This year, Monitor partnered with dfcu Bank, NSSF, Uganda Breweries Ltd, NCBA Bank, and Uganda Airlines to host the 8th edition of the forum at Kampala Serena Hotel.
Over the years, it has organised the event as a platform to discuss pertinent issues in Uganda’s a business and corporate environment.
The last of such events was held in 2019 before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Other business icons that have been invited to speak to include Mr Don Strickland, the former vice president of Apple and Kodak, Ms Isabel Aguilera, the former president of General Electric in Spain and Portugal.