intensive tasks associated with AI are now
being packaged into simple, easy-to-deploy
applications, and accessibility is opening up
in a big way.
This means that anyone with enough
development knowledge can theoretically
build their own mini-Watson, not just major
enterprises with full data science teams at
their disposal. Start-ups, entrepreneurs, small
businesses and NGOs will be able to leverage
existing tools to create their own AI-driven
platforms and ecosystems. According to
Gartner, citizen data scientists are expected
to grow at five times the rate of their
professional counterparts.
African organisations and entrepreneurs
stand to benefit as they can more easily
access game-changing data analytics that
would’ve been unthinkable a few years ago.
On the flipside, the competitive landscape
is about to get a lot hotter as sophisticated
AI becomes not just a nice-to-have but a key
competitive differentiator. Organisations are
going to need to take a serious look at their
business intelligence capabilities going into
2019 and see whether they can keep up in a
market where AI is everywhere.
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The digital identity question takes
centre stage
With the meeting of the digital and physical
worlds, having a fully formed digital identity
is increasingly important in being able to
access real-world services. From banking to
travel to hospitals, industries are embracing
the use of biometrics, digital onboarding
and connected devices to serve consumers.
Anyone who lacks a digital footprint stands
to be left out.
Shifting to a digital identity model isn’t
easy, not when identity fraud, spoofed
information, and even deepfakes are
everywhere. It’s never been more important
to have the tools and processes in place to
be able to distinguish real from fake.
The other defining question around digital
identities is how you integrate an individual’s
online and offline behaviours to form a
unified picture of who they are. Expect to see
a major focus in 2019 on data protection
technologies as organisations struggle with
how to deliver more relevant experiences
to their customers, without exposing
themselves to risk.
Identity inclusion stands to be the next
great frontier in digitising society, especially
in the developing world where the standard
identity markers – ID numbers, addresses,
utility bills, sources of income – don’t
always work. Thankfully, Africa has a head
start in looking beyond traditional ways of
verifying digital identities to drive service
delivery. Using AI to establish digital
identities as well as alternative data models,
will be key drivers in mapping digital
identities and creating more secure access
to products and services.
Time to clean up your data act
Over the past few years, we’ve seen
increased awareness among consumers
around their personal data and what it is
used for. Even major players that previously
seemed untouchable are not immune to
scrutiny of their data and security policies.
Cambridge Analytica has continued to
haunt Facebook, and more companies have
faced significant public backlash following
breaches or exposure of poor data practices.
The public has less tolerance for bad data
practices every year.
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