The future of artificial intelligence was discussed in Nigeria, a country regarded as the Silicon Valley of Africa.
Technological leaders, academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from across Africa, along with experts from other continents, gathered in Lagos to identify the opportunities and challenges posed by the development and use of artificial intelligence on the continent.
For the Nigerian authorities, the exploitation of this technology requires two approaches.
To truly leverage artificial intelligence for our collective interest, we must adopt a deliberate and collaborative approach. We need to ensure that the path to digital transformation is inclusive, equitable, and human-centered," stated Bosun Tijani, Nigerian Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy
The pan-African conference on AI included participation from the United States of America. During the meeting, Washington presented the challenges related to this new technology.
"I believe there are two real challenges that are most important when we think about the future of AI. The first is to create a secure governance framework that allows, rather than hinders, innovation, which can build trust among citizens around the world to truly use AI in their lives. The other challenge, I believe, is to create a favorable business environment that can encourage the private sector to develop and invest in Nigeria to enable the development of AI, which I think is in our mutual interest," stated Seth Center, Acting Special U.S. Representative for Critical and Emerging Technologies.
Nigeria announced the creation of a fund for artificial intelligence aimed at the most prominent Nigerian startups in this field, with an amount of over $60,000.
Article source:africanews