Value exchange of AI ‘immensely beneficial’ for all
WHAT are the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education and what does applying such a technology responsibly look like for the African continent?
These were among the questions explored during the recent University of Pretoria (UP) Meta AI policy dialogue held at the institution’s Javett Art Centre on the Hatfield campus.
The policy dialogue brought together leaders and practitioners from higher education, the government and the private sectors who explored the use of AI under the theme: “Responsible AI: Current Realities and Future Possibilities for Africa.”
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Deputy Minister Buti Manamela, who delivered the keynote address, said: “As a continent, we have immense diversity of potential and are standing on the cusp of a technological renaissance. The possibilities for artificial intelligence in Africa today are vast and diverse.”
In order for the continent to fully tap into the potential offered by AI it needs to address challenges such as access to technology, infrastructure, data privacy, security concerns and skills development, he said.
“We have to, probably under the African Union, consolidate our discussions as governments so that we have a clearer African agenda in terms of the use and deployment of artificial intelligence,” Manamela said.
“AI is not just a buzz word. It’s a tool that can be used to leverage some of our most pressing challenges from predictive analysis in healthcare, improving patient outcomes and managing diseases, to AI-driven agricultural technologies that promise higher yields for farmers.
“We’re also seeing artificial intelligence transform the educational sector by personalising the learning experience and making education accessible to all, regardless of geographical location.”
Dr Chijioke Okorie, founder and leader of UP’s Data Science Law Lab, emphasised the importance of context-specific solutions when developing AI solutions for the African continent.
“Within the AI policy space for the continent of Africa we know what to do, and that is to focus on our context and our realities and use them to inform how to do AI policy research and how to devise policy implementation strategies,” she said.
Okorie pointed out that even within the continent there are comparable and similar experiences, but the engagement and impact of those similar experiences differ across the board.
“We must be nuanced and contextual in our approach in dealing with this.”
Sir Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs at Meta, said events such as the policy dialogue were important because being clear about what generative AI does and doesn’t do allows society to marry innovation and responsibility with the right blend.
“Transparency and openness are two foundational principles for us when it comes to innovating responsibly,” he said.
“I think it’s important to remember that this technology, far from disempowering people, will play a really vital role in empowering people.
“It isn’t realistic to imagine that very soon, every single person in this room will have an online AI assistant equal to the very best executive assistants found in corporate life. The degree of personalised help that can be given to people, I think, should lead to an immense democratisation of power.”
Clegg said the value exchange of AI is immensely beneficial for people.
“It’s not just a one-way street where your data is being sucked into some impenetrable machine and you get nothing out of it. We will all get a lot out of this and we can already see the beneficial applications of the technology in education, health, agriculture and in raising productivity across the economy.”