A data scientist says that adopting generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) could greatly benefit African industries.
At the Deep Learning IndabaX Nigeria 2024 conference in Abuja, Dr. Roselyn Isimeto from the University of Lagos highlighted how Gen AI can transform businesses in Africa. She explained that using Gen AI can help African companies become more profitable and innovative.
Gen AI is a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content, such as text, images, music, and videos, based on the data it has learned from. This is different from traditional AI, which usually just analyzes or classifies data.
Dr. Isimeto noted that Gen AI can help achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which aim for global peace and prosperity. However, she mentioned that a lack of skills and local data for Gen AI is a challenge. Data is crucial for developing these AI applications.
She pointed out that many business sectors can benefit from Gen AI. For example, in marketing, it can create content and personalized messages. In customer service, it can help with chatbots and understanding customer feelings. In finance, it can generate documents and detect fraud.
In healthcare, Gen AI can help with diagnosing diseases, planning treatments, discovering new drugs, and improving patient care. The media and entertainment industry can use it to create music and videos, while the education sector can use it for personalized learning experiences and supporting teachers.
Other sectors that could benefit include agriculture, legal, real estate, manufacturing, retail, energy, human resources, and fashion.
Dr. Isimeto gave an example of building a large language model application, showing the steps from understanding needs to deploying the application. She also gave a practical demonstration on how to start building Gen AI applications.
To close the adoption gap, she advised organizations to innovate their products, processes, business models, and marketing strategies.
