Image credit: Prof. Arthur G.O. Mutambara on X
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is upon us. We are seeing so many AI applications launch by the day, it’s ridiculous. It is the modern day gold rush.
AI promises to help developing countries catch up to the developed world. However, nothing is guaranteed and so some countries will miss out on this.
Professor Arthur Mutambara, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe who is a Robotics and Mechatronics engineer by training had a few things to say about Zimbabwe’s readiness for Artificial Intelligence.
The guy is now a Director and Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He made a presentation to the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce on the topic. You can read the whole text here.
Here is a summary of what he said. Fittingly, AI helped with the summary.
Zimbabwe’s Readiness for Artificial Intelligence
- Importance of AI for Zimbabwe: AI has the potential to drive productivity and growth across various sectors in Zimbabwe. However, the country needs to be prepared to embrace this technology effectively.
- AI Readiness Requires: Building public awareness, upskilling the workforce, and developing necessary infrastructure (power, connectivity).
- Impact of AI on Jobs: Jobs will be lost, modified, and created due to AI. Reskilling and continuous learning are crucial.
- AI Regulation Framework: Zimbabwe needs a regulatory framework to address ethical concerns, data privacy, algorithmic bias, and potential risks.
- Learning and Research: New approaches to learning are needed, focusing on critical thinking, problem-solving, and multidisciplinary skills.
- Enablers for AI Readiness: Political will, digitalization, efficient governance, and embracing AI leapfrogging opportunities are crucial.
- AI Regulation Principles: Context-specific, pro-innovation, risk-based, adaptable, and focused on user safety and data privacy.
- Five Risk Verticals: Robustness, bias, privacy, explainability, and efficacy need to be considered when assessing AI systems.
- Harmonized Laws and Regulations: Zimbabwe should collaborate with SADC and AU to develop harmonized AI laws and regulations.
- Linking AI Readiness to Regional Plans: Align AI readiness with existing regional industrialization plans.
- Six Strategic Initiatives for Businesses: Create an AI roadmap, build talent, adopt a new operating model, distribute technology, embed data everywhere, and unlock user adoption.
- Key Strategies for Businesses to Thrive: Define clear objectives, invest in talent, ensure data quality, start small and scale, focus on user experience, collaborate with startups, and embrace continuous learning.
- Developing AI Companies in Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe needs to create and grow AI companies specializing in research, development, and application of AI solutions.
- Concluding Remarks: Implement an AI National Strategy, leverage AI strengths while understanding limitations, prioritize Zimbabwean involvement in AI development, strive to own AI technologies, develop regulations, establish AI companies, and encourage participation in AI development globally.
What to make of it
To be honest, I don’t know how useful his remarks will be. Is anyone with the necessary influence even listening?
Some of the stuff he said sounds good on paper but doesn’t really make sense in practice – you don’t just create/establish AI companies, for example. Even with the proper tax incentives.
Also, it’s easy to say Zimbabwe needs to develop the necessary infrastructure (power, connectivity) to take advantage of AI.
We have been trying to solve our power, connectivity, water, health and other problems for decades. It’s not going to magically happen because we need to take advantage of AI.
His other remarks are spot on but sound obvious. It’s not a mark against him, it needed to be said out loud, I guess. ‘We need new approaches to learning,” oh, you don’t say Professor. “Political will and efficient governance are crucial,” oh my goodness, preach!
The Professor had good suggestions though. He talked about an AI national strategy and that is sorely needed. Good thing the speaker of Parliament is thinking about these things and pushing Parliament to look into it:
This means, at the very least, some politicians are thinking about these things. I don’t know if I’m ready to believe this will lead to anything tangible anytime soon but at least it’s happening.
The Professor also talked about building public awareness and upskilling the workforce. Nothing is more important than upskilling the workforce, I would argue. However, how do we actually go about doing that?
You can let us know what you think about all this in the comments section below.
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