‘African governments urged to employ AI in service delivery’

African governments have been urged to employ the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in service delivery and business operations to boost the continent’s respective economies.

Speakers at the Africa Digital Festival conference on AI held last Friday in Accra stressed that AI had the prospects to improve service delivery, boost businesses and build a resilient economy in Africa.

Themed “Building a contactless Economy beyond COVID-19”, the seminar highlighted the relevance of using AI to transact business in the era of COVID-19 and promoting and sustaining businesses.

The speakers were the Chief Digital Officer at MTN-Ghana, Dario Branchi, Researcher Business Strategy and Innovation at Deloitte-Ghana, Abeeku Entsua-Mensah, an Artificial Intelligence Engineer, Darlington Ahiale Akogo.

 Mr Branchi said Africa could build a buoyant economy with the help of AI, stressing that MTN Ghana was leading and championing the use of AI in service delivery and business operations in Ghana.

He said MTN Ghana was committed to helping Ghana build a strong economy with its Mobile Money service, which “has the ability to ease payments in a much simpler and safer way.”

He explained that the objective of Mobile Money was to create convenience for people to transact business as well as send and receive money.

Mr Dario entreated African government to put robust systems in place to promote cyber security since AI was associated with numerous risks.

He said hacking was one of the risks associated with AI, and therefore, admonished the “public to protect their accounts by making it private.”

Mr Akogo for his part said, AI had the potential to build Africa’s economy through collection of data on business transactions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The benefits of AI are very numerous especially in the health sector because it is used in diagnosing diseases which is quite easier, simple and affordable,” he said.

Mr Akogo indicated AI was cost-effective and AI systems could exist on phones, laptops, and other electronic devices.

Mr Entsua-Mensah indicated that there was the need for stakeholders to understand digitisation and which areas to digitise and attention must be paid to.

BY ALFRED NII ARDAY ANKRAH