ADDIS ABABA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Africa needs supportive policies and robust infrastructures to tap into the limitless opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and leapfrog its development, experts have said.
The call came at a panel discussion on "Fostering prosperity through policies on artificial intelligence in Africa," on the sidelines of the ongoing 56th Session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Zimbabwe, according to a press release by the UNECA Sunday.
The UNECA with its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said the experts agreed that AI would present massive development opportunities for Africa if the right policies and infrastructures were in place.
"It is important to have the right policies to regulate the use of AI and also avert its risks, but Africa should not wait to have the regulations in place to embrace the technology," the statement quoted Ousman Bah, Gambian minister of communications and digital economy, as saying.
According to research presented at the panel discussion, AI technology has the potential to contribute up to 15.7 trillion U.S. dollars to the global economy by 2030, of which 1.2 trillion dollars could be generated in Africa, representing a 5.6 percent increase in the continent's gross domestic product by 2030.
Sandra Makumbirofa, a senior economist at Research ICT Africa, said AI has transformative potential to boost African economies through effective financial inclusion, employment creation and enhanced public service delivery. Most of the market value of AI, however, is realized in the United States and China, she said, citing research by the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
"It is therefore important for African countries to actively participate in global fora to ensure their interests are represented," Makumbirofa said.
Baratang Miya, chief executive officer of Girlhype Coders Academy based in South Africa, said governments should regulate and incentivize stakeholders across AI value chains, focusing on small and medium-scale enterprises to foster innovation and equitable access to AI technologies.
Miya also emphasized the need for African governments to establish ethical frameworks for the development and deployment of AI, addressing issues such as data privacy, security, transparency and accountability in AI systems. ■