Zimbabwe launches National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: Private sector urged to invest in technology
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa officially launched the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy this Friday at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, amid increased internet growth. In his address, the President called for the private sector to invest in AI, partner with start-ups to transform the country’s industries and leapfrog its modernisation and industrialisation. He said […] The post Zimbabwe launches National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: Private sector urged to invest in technology appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa officially launched the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy this Friday at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, amid increased internet growth.
In his address, the President called for the private sector to invest in AI, partner with start-ups to transform the country’s industries and leapfrog its modernisation and industrialisation.
He said the envisioned Zimbabwe must be digitally robust and agile.
“We have the duty to embrace emerging technologies to unlock numerous Artificial Intelligence driven opportunities that will propel modernisation, industrialisation and sustainable socio-economic growth.
“The launch will undoubtedly ignite a new chapter in our country’s ongoing development trajectory,” Mnangagwa said.
The National AI Strategy comes in four critical foundational pillars which anchor the comprehensive blueprint.
The President stressed this must serve as the beacon of Zimbabwe’s journey.
To underpin the strategy, Mnangagwa said there is need for creation of national guidelines for data privacy, fairness and accountability.
“We are committed to ensuring that the use of AI is human-centric, transparent and free from bias. The protection of our national interests as well as the dignity of all Zimbabweans, remain central to the legal parameters we are putting in place.”
Over and above, he added, “These four pillars, the importance of international collaboration and partnerships, cannot be over emphasised.
“I urge players in the ICT sector to adopt best practices, from this onset and attract responsible investment, while making sure that Zimbabwe is an active participant in the ongoing global dialogue, on the future of AI.
“The AI strategy launch is a bold response to the disruptive effects of the ever-evolving technological era. As a key development enabler, the strategy should help unleash our full potential and new frontiers in agriculture, mining, healthcare, finance and education, among other aspects of our economy,” he told guests.
Under the Talent and Capacity Development pillar, he promised that government will deliberately develop and enhance our human capital skills.
“Centres of excellence in AI shall be established at our institutions of higher and tertiary education and the prioritisation of research funding as well as attractive career pathways for our specialists, remain critically important to government.”
Inorder to guarantee AI infrastructure and computational sovereignty, he emphasised the urgent need for Data Protection Act operationalisation and for the sector to increase the promotion of open data initiatives and secure data market places, saying these must be scaled up, while investments in the digital infrastructure, including cloud computing capacities remained essential.
The third pillar relates to AI Adoption and Service Transformation.
“I challenge all stakeholders to be guided by the outlined roadmap for the seamless and widespread adoption of this strategy across all sectors.
“On its part, my administration stands ready to offer incentives to businesses that integrate AI to augment efficiencies and productivity.
“In the public sector, flagship projects are set to be rolled out in key areas such as precision agriculture, predictive healthcare diagnostics, smart mining operations, together with Artificial Intelligence driven systems to improve service delivery and fight corruption.”
Meanwhile, the Governance, Ethics and Regulatory Framework under the Strategy seeks to establish a robust legal and ethical framework for the development and use of Artificial Intelligence in Zimbabwe.
“Internet access has grown, with many Zimbabweans having access to the global digital space and tools.
“This commendable internet penetration forms a vital pool of potential users and creators in the Artificial Intelligence value chain. Well done,” he commended sector players.
Following government’s deliberate support for start-ups and the roll out of innovation hubs, the increased development of AI powered solutions addressing the needs of communities was also appraised.
“These include chat-bots in local languages to assist farmers, machine learning models
predicting commodity market prices and computer vision systems for early detection of crop diseases, among others.”
As engines of innovation and adoption, the private sector was challenged, to engage the young talented and skilled Zimbabweans residing in other jurisdictions, to help propel the onerous and ground breaking field.
The post Zimbabwe launches National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: Private sector urged to invest in technology appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
