The role of artificial intelligence (AI) as the propellant in the Generation Zee uprising recently seen in Kenya has left most of us agog.
Early this month, I was invited to the Zetech University’s 6th Sustainable Innovations Conference and Innovation Week, themed ‘Innovate, Disrupt, Regenerate: Unleashing the Transformative Power of AI for a Circular Economy’, held at the Technology Park Mang’u Campus.
A highly motivating Conference this was, drawing in quite a large participation of organizations active in the innovation space, including universities. I was a panellist in a 6-member team discussion session titled ‘Transforming the Education Sector through the use of AI’, with four panellists being active AI users in their daily work, and one student innovator. The meeting hall was full with attentive participants all seemingly baptised to the core with the spirit of AI.
I have previously attended four other research conferences where AI was prominently discussed, being the new big thing after COVID-19. It tickles one’s fancy, raises curiosity and arouses interest in science technology and innovation (ST&I), stimulating wits of the young. It is the in-thing.
Caleb Ndaka, my fellow panellist, from an organisation ‘Kids Comp Camp’ demonstrated how they use AI to support digital tutoring of juveniles in rural and underserved communities. He pleaded for funding support to evaluate their impact. Kevin Gitau, a panellist student at Zetech, an accomplished robotics innovator, talked of Sophia: “In October 2017, Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship, becoming the first robot to receive legal personhood in any country. In November 2017, Sophia was named the United Nations Development Programme’s first Innovation Champion, and is the first non-human to be given a United Nations title”.
I had never heard of Sophia.
It is more recently, 2022 in particular, that I appreciated the transformative power of AI on engagement in a project using web crawling and scraping, machine learning, and AI to build a ‘Research Matching Platform (RMP)”.
The value of Africa’s artificial intelligence market is US$ 400 billion, according to a new report by GSMA, a global industry body that represents mobile operators. “The report estimates that the continent represents just 2.5% of the global AI market. Its authors say AI could improve efficiency, particularly in agriculture, to such an extent that its use could boost Africa’s economic growth by $2.9 trillion by 2030. But several obstacles must be overcome to improve the continent’s digital infrastructure, such as additional investment to build more data centers and improve power provision, according to the GSMA”.
On the wake of Labour’s massive election, Tony Blair, former, Prime Minister of the UK, made an inspiring pitch for AI when he spoke on “Tech Revolution and Britain s Economic Growth”. Speaking at a function of the Tony Blair Institute Global Change, he elaborated on the breakthrough attributed to AI as follows
“The opportunities are huge, the risks are huge, but there is absolutely no doubt, this is an era of transformation. Things which were impossible will become possible, advances which would have taken decades will happen in a few years or months.
The value we can add, the improvements and efficiencies we can make, and the radical benefits in outcomes, we can secure could be truly revolutionary, if we seize the opportunity.
There will be many well-meaning parts of our society including politicians that will resist. They down play the opportunity and focus on the risk. The bigger the risk is not being too bold but timid”.
Blair emphasized that the task before UK is to undergo a radical renewal and revival in thought and deed. “The future will see companies and nations either falling or rising based on how they strategically utilized AI”.
Impressive. Is Kenya on the same trajectory? I wonder if Kenya is too timid?
Kenya’s policy for adoption of AI systems should be driven by the realization of the potential for significant economic growth and the opportunity to be a part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
So, there you are. You now have been acquainted with Saudi Arabia’s Sophia, and know a little more about AI and its power to make transformative development change.
JPR Ochieng’-Odero is a scientist, author, playwright, blogger, and
beekeeper, all rolled into one!