Twenty-first-century technological advancements have brought the world to the cusp of a Fourth Industrial Revolution. The revolution is a fusion of advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), Web3, blockchain, 3D printing, genetic engineering, quantum computing, geo-engineering, and other emerging technologies.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an advanced scientific field that involves the creation of intelligent agents.
These agents can reason, learn, and act independently, making them an essential force behind many modern products and services. In simpler terms, AI is a technology that enables machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language, recognizing images, and making decisions based on data.
Technological advancements have undeniably propelled social progress, significantly augmenting productivity and fostering inclusive economic growth. As we approach the brink of a new technological era, different countries are at varying levels of readiness to harness the benefits of this transformative shift. The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and has the potential to revolutionize many economic sectors.
Among other things, AI technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture by providing precise data-driven insights for irrigation, fertilization, and pest control. This can increase crop yields, productivity, and more efficient water and energy usage. Moreover, AI promotes the reduction of harmful chemicals and enables real-time crop monitoring, which can help address food security challenges.
The healthcare sector can significantly benefit from AI’s capabilities. For instance, AI can analyze medical images more accurately than human radiologists, leading to earlier detection and diagnosis of diseases. This can improve health services and reduce the risk of unnecessary treatments. AI is also a disruptive technology that is transforming the healthcare industry. With the ability to analyze patient data, including medical history, genetic information, and lifestyle factors, AI can create personalized treatment plans that offer unparalleled precision and efficacy.
Furthermore, AI accelerates drug discovery and development by identifying potential drug candidates, predicting their effectiveness and safety, and optimizing clinical trials to reduce time and cost. Additionally, AI-powered robotic surgery systems provide surgeons greater precision, skill, and control during procedures, resulting in better patient outcomes. In short, AI is revolutionizing the healthcare industry, and we expect to see more innovative solutions leveraging this technology.
AI is revolutionizing the manufacturing industries, providing many benefits and opportunities. AI rapidly transforms the manufacturing sector by optimizing production processes, automating repetitive tasks, enabling predictive maintenance, streamlining supply chains, and personalizing product recommendations. In finance, AI is utilized for fraud detection, risk assessment, algorithmic trading, customer service automation, and personalized financial management. As AI technologies advance, their transformative impact on the industry is expected to increase.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to significantly contribute towards enhancing peace and security within a nation. With its capability to analyze massive amounts of data, recognize patterns, and make predictions, AI can be implemented in various areas, including conflict prevention, threat detection, and peacekeeping operations.
Although AI has the potential to tackle crucial issues in developing countries, the integration of AI across various sectors presents both challenges and risks. For instance, in agriculture, limited access to technology and infrastructure poses a challenge in implementing AI-driven solutions, hindering the adoption of precision farming techniques and reducing the potential for increased crop yields.
Healthcare sectors face data availability and quality challenges, essential for training AI models; this limitation impacts the accuracy of diagnostic tools and healthcare delivery. In education, the challenge lies in access to technology and digital literacy, limiting the effectiveness of AI-powered learning tools.
The financial sector is also vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, as attackers seek to exploit vulnerabilities in AI systems to manipulate financial data, disrupt operations, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. Moreover, the widespread adoption of AI in financial markets could introduce new systemic risks, such as amplified market fluctuations and potential instability due to AI-driven trading algorithms. Additionally, the need for more skilled professionals in AI development and maintenance across all sectors poses a significant hurdle, limiting the full potential of AI in developing countries.
Furthermore, the lack of regulatory frameworks heightens the risk of data privacy breaches and misuse of AI-driven systems, potentially compromising sensitive information in healthcare and financial and security services.
Despite the challenges and potential risks associated with integrating AI across various sectors, developing countries should strive to build their AI capabilities. The transformative potential of AI to revolutionize industry, healthcare, agriculture, finance, and security cannot be ignored. AI has the potential to drive economic growth, enhance social welfare, and contribute towards sustainable development. Countries that develop AI capabilities will be better equipped to harness the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, gain a competitive edge, and address pressing societal challenges. However, it is crucial to balance the potential benefits of AI with the need to mitigate risks and ensure that AI is developed and implemented ethically, transparently, and accountable. Ethiopia has made noteworthy progress in developing infrastructure and talent to support the growth of AI initiatives and applications.
Ethiopia is one of the few African countries investing heavily in AI. It has established a $ 250-million tech park in Addis Ababa to promote the development of emerging technologies and AIapplications in various sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and finance.
iCogLabs, a private Ethiopian AI company, with a mission to create software that foresees all the brain activities and a host of practical applications for clients worldwide, including humanoid robots for Hanson Robotics, makers of the renowned Robot Einstein. The well-known humanoid robot Sophia, whose operating system was primarily developed by iCogLabs, was one of the preliminary success stories of the lab. This demonstrates Ethiopian youth's growing AI capabilities and potential to contribute to the global AI landscape significantly. The development of Sophia and the success of other AI projects in Ethiopia are helping inspire and empower Ethiopian youth to pursue their dreams in AI.
In 2020, Ethiopian Prime Minister H.E. Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.) established the first-ever Artificial Intelligence Institute, which is mandated to provide innovative research-based AI services in vital areas, mainly focusing on youth incubation and development. Ethiopia’s advent to AI is also bringing Africa together. In 2022, Ethiopia hosted the first Pan-African Conference on Artificial Intelligence at the Science Museum in Addis, showcasing the country’s dedication to fostering AI development and collaboration across the continent.
Ethiopia has demonstrated a solid commitment to artificial intelligence through several initiatives, underscoring its commitment to investing in AI research and development. These initiatives, coupled with an enabling policy environment, a growing tech-savvy population, and a robust economy, position Ethiopia as a frontrunner in AI development within Africa in the coming decade.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent visit to the AI Institute only hours after his arrival from a working visit abroad demonstrates his government’s commitment and priority to the development of AI in Ethiopia. In his remark, the Prime Minister lauds:
“Today, I . . . watched the young people who are responsible for the future of the country after two months of training on the nature and importance of artificial intelligence technology. It is promising that our children have acquired the key knowledge to solve Ethiopia’s problems with the help of structural awareness. I have full confidence that they can ensure the development of our country.”
Ethiopia’s journey to develop artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise for its future. Ethiopia can become a regional leader in AI development and implementation. With its promising youth, committed government, and partnerships, Ethiopia’s journey to develop AI can unlock new opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth, benefiting the country and the wider region.
In this regard, international collaboration is crucial to support AI development in Ethiopia. As AI is a rapidly evolving field, it is essential to have access to the latest research, technologies, and expertise. Collaborating with international partners can help Ethiopia accelerate AI adoption and development, overcome technical and infrastructural challenges, and ensure that AI is used ethically and responsibly. Furthermore, international collaboration can help build a global network of AI researchers and practitioners, enabling knowledge sharing, capacity building, and innovation. By working together, Ethiopia and its international partners can leverage AI’s full potential to address critical challenges and improve people’s lives.
Esubalew Ginbar has an interest in AI. The author consulted AI tool, Perplexity AI to factcheck this article.
BY ESUBALEW GINBAR
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2023
