By George Aine
To many, artificial intelligence (AI), a form of computer science that emphasizes the creation of intelligent machines that work and react like humans, is meant for the developed world and is not applicable in developing countries in Africa.
Many critics of the technology view it as a source of unemployment and encroachment on people’s privacy through facial recognition that can be used for warrantless surveillance.
However, tech business leaders from across the continent intend to dispel these misnomers and explain how AI can help Africans improve profitability and efficiency in their businesses at the AI Conference and Expo in South Africa come September 9.
Must read: Nigerian start-up develops bot that can predict football games
Mr. Nick Bradshaw, the Event Director, said Artificial Intelligence possesses the inherent ability to transform all business environments, streamline workflow, efficiently analyze Business Intelligence data and improve profitability, which they want to instill in many African leaders and entrepreneurs.
“We have created this event so that start-ups and the big ICT/Cloud/AI players can all be in the same room, something that is often overlooked by event organizers who exclude SMEs, so this event is uniquely inclusive in that regard. We also have dedicated tracks for innovation, vendors and case studies so delegates will see ‘real world’ AI business applications they can adopt now,” he said.
Mr. Bradshaw said with 800 delegates expected to attend the two-day conference, they have invited enterprise decision makers allied to AI Cloud platform providers, innovators, investors, educators, government and ecosystem community builders to share their experiences at the summit.
He said at the summit, there will be 3 major African product launches, including the Zindi Platform, an online community of mostly African data scientists to convene, collaborate, and compete to solve the continent’s most pressing challenges.
There will also be hardware demos including the latest Smart Glass & AR VR technology, Vendor Expo Hall showcasing regional product and service providers and speeches covering business innovation, technology & platforms, and case studies.
Leaders in the African AI, data science and investment space like Accenture, SAP, Dimension Data, BCX, Siatik, Intel, Startup Boot Camp, Knife Capital and Sqwidnet – to name a few – will showcase their AI offerings.
Related:
Artificial intelligence better at finding skin cancer than doctors – study
Inside a technology that could crack Uganda’s security surveillance woes
