African countries are interested in artificial intelligence and seek to frame it

Artificial intelligence can allow Africa to move forward on crucial issues, but must be supervised to avoid abuses.

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1 min

The deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and its effects on the economy was one of the major challenges of the World Peace Forum in Paris from November 11 to 13.

If AI today promises so many benefits, its use remains timid on the African continent for several reasons.

However, some countries do not want to be outdone.

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Already supervised in Kenya and Algeria, artificial intelligence will soon be supervised in South Africa and Tunisia.

AI, in other words machines capable of simulating human intelligence, could be beneficial to several sectors, such as education, health or agriculture. 

High potential, but big risks

These digital applications would notably enable African countries to move towards food self-sufficiency, useful in times of health crisis when it is difficult to obtain supplies. Another example is the rapid development of online payments. But its possible scientific progress also comes with risks. AI promotes massive aggregation of data and therefore poses a risk of privacy breaches. 

In 2017, for example, the personal data of Kenyan voters was allegedly manipulated by the British company Cambridge Analytica to influence the presidential election in favor of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Some observers also point to the risk for employment in a continent where youth unemployment remains high, if machines were to replace human workers.

For Minata Ndiaye, teacher-researcher at the Virtual University of Senegal, “ 

it is important for us and essential for us Africans especially to be able to define strategies, to be able to know what we want, what are the African values ​​that we want to defend through artificial intelligence and from there we can make serene use of AI. 

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Minata Ndiaye on artificial intelligence issues

Christina okello

►Also listen: Debate of the day - Artificial intelligence: should we be worried?

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