President Paul Kagame has talked about how Africa should make use of artificial intelligence (AI), noting that success will not only depend on how quickly we deploy this new tool, but also on which problems we choose to apply it to. He made the remarks on Wednesday, November 12, while speaking at the Transform Africa Summit (TAS) in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. Organised by the Smart Africa Alliance under the theme Al for Africa: Innovate Locally, Impact Globally, the summit is bringing together leaders and innovators to explore how AI can advance Africa's economic integration, strengthen governance, and foster innovation across the continent. In his speech, Kagame took his audience through the history of how, more than a decade ago, the TAS was launched in Kigali at a time when a digital revolution was unfolding globally. The opportunities ahead of us were clear: to invest in broadband and use connectivity as a springboard to develop more competitively, he said. The commitments we made at the beginning of this journey still stand. With the support of our partners, we are making steady progress, he added, before noting that the only difference is that today, there is necessity to contend with a more complex and intertwined world where the evolution of cutting-edge technology is happening at a much faster pace. Artificial intelligence, the theme of this year's conversation, is a case in point. For Africa, success will not only depend on how quickly we deploy this new tool, but also on which problems we choose to apply it to, he pointed out. As Africa continues to apply AI, Kagame called upon the continent to use it in line with its context and development needs in order to bring maximum gains to the human capital. For Rwanda alone, artificial intelligence is expected to contribute 5 per cent to our GDP, bringing innovation and expertise to healthcare, education and agriculture, among other sectors, he said. We have also laid the groundwork for the development of a national artificial intelligence policy to guide our ambitions, he added. He lauded Africa as blessed to have many young and tech savvy entrepreneurs who want to add value to important areas of the continent's economies, as he called for action towards solving the investment deficit in digital infrastructure, skills and regulatory framework. Closing these structural gaps requires close collaboration between the public and the private sector. Using our resources effectively is even more critical. I commend Smart Africa for spearheading the creation of the Africa Artificial Intelligence Council and structuring the AI Fund, both important foundations to advance our continent's priorities, he said. He further pointed out that currently, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence, especially regarding the future of work, privacy and safety. Some of it is completely unjustified and some of it is just fear of the unknown. Regardless of the sentiment, this new reality is here to stay with us and we must learn how to adapt and live with it, he said. This is not the first nor the last wave of technological progress that Africa and the world will witness. We continue to be reminded that science and technology are powerful engines of creativity and performance that are not here to replace anyone, he added.
