The country needs an institute that will be a conduit for AI knowledge to industry, society and government
Last week the daughter of the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, Katerina Tikhonova, was appointed to head the Artificial Intelligence Institute located at Moscow State University. The university has produced 13 Nobel prizes, six Fields Medals and one Turing award, so in matters of science, putting the AI institute there is a big deal. In Russian, if a husband’s last name is, for instance, Komlev, the wife’s surname becomes Komleva.
AI is proving to be such powerful technology that it is revolutionising all aspects of our lives. Here in Johannesburg, we have studied how it is changing the field of finance and economics. AI is fundamentally changing the principles of self-interest, nudging people to act sometimes against their best interests. AI can understand interstate conflict and can make recommendations for peacekeeping.
The AI institute should pay more attention to applications as well as the creations of AI solutions and apps, rather than only the theoretical aspects of AI. Of course, to create apps and solutions, one should be able to code. The AI institute should develop competencies in the area of integrating different software with different data sources to solve socioeconomic problems.
The institute should facilitate the expansion of AI expertise in Africa by drawing from the local population and international expertise. It should use strategic partnerships in bodies such as the AU, the Southern Africa Development Community, the East African Community, the Economic Community of West African States, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the US and the European Union to facilitate the movement of people, expertise, skills and technology.
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