2 weeks Ago By RFI
Heads of state, top government officials, and scientists from around 100 countries have gathered in Paris for a two-day international summit on developing artificial intelligence (AI). Decisions are expected to be reached on AI's real-world impact and how to take it forward together. The African continent has an important role to play, a Cameroonian AI specialist tells RFI.
According to the African Union , AI is a "strategic asset pivotal to achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063 " (The Africa We Want) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To get a sense of where the continent is at, RFI spoke to Paulin Melatagia, head of the research team on IA and data science at Yaounde I University. RFI: Artificial intelligence will profoundly change our societies in many fields.
Do you think the African continent has already begun its transformation? Paulin Melatagia : Yes, I believe the continent has already started its transformation. There are a lot of initiatives across the continent – lots of startups and many public organisations are beginning to invest in the development of AI applications, notably in the fields of health, transportation, and agriculture. They're being proposed almost every month as part of competitions and hackathons to address Africa-specific issues.
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