The 2024 Pan-African AI Conference, cohosted by the United States, has brought together politicians, legislators, and businesspeople from all over Africa and beyond into a bustling tech center in Lagos, Nigeria. This is where debates on pros and cons of AI take place, thus it helps shape the future of these fields in Africa.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani of Nigeria, traced in his keynote speech the fact that the digital revolution of the continent must and should be a just and equitable one. He also candidly underlined the fact that “we must be deliberate and cooperative in our approach if we are to truly harness artificial intelligence for collective benefit.” Tijani introduced an artificial intelligence fund worth $61,000 to support some of the best companies in Nigeria.
Often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of Africa’, Lagos was one apt backstop to bring together over thirty African countries’ delegates. With their American counterparts, these players offered insights, investigated the artificial intelligence opportunities, and plotted a course for its expansion onto the continent.
Acting Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Dr. Seth Center, underlined two major AI challenges in the domain. He gave great importance to establishing a safe-and-secure government structure which supports public trust and invention. Center also emphasized the need to be able to establish a business-friendly environment to attract private sector investment and boost artificial intelligence development not only in Nigeria but globally.
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In this way, the cooperation between Nigeria and the United States has become the epitome of cross-continental alliances to drive technical innovation. Both countries are particularly aware of how AI has the phenomenal capacity to precipitate social and economic change in fast-changing digital Africa.
