EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
Organisations must ensure that AI systems operate within a basic ethical framework and AI machines are embedded with values . They must begin by creating a set of rules with which the system must comply and then – over time – identify subtler , ethically ambiguous situations , accepting training and direction on how to handle those situations going forward . Bad algorithms will yield bad results . While investment and experimentation are extremely important , the biggest and most common strategic mistake companies make when exploring AI is failing to define a clear use case and desired outcomes with a clear , quantifiable metric for the technology in the first place .
CIOs need to start with a clear understanding on who will be consuming the AI solution , how they will be consuming it , and why AI is even needed . This starts with thinking critically about the problems the organisation is facing , framing those challenges in ways that are potentially solvable by AI , and then identifying and refining use cases that are critical to the business goals . Without this approach they risk issues such as training a Machine Learning model using data that contains human bias or suggests humans make unfair decisions . The reality is that by putting trust at the cornerstone of AI innovation , business leaders have a major opportunity to use AI as a force for positive change , both for their companies and for society at large .
With the explosion of 5G connectivity , telecommunication operators across MEA are also exploring the AI-powered automation and network orchestration to improve the control and management of networking as they look to deliver faster customer experiences . The AI industry has the potential to quickly enable changes in the network that optimise network performance and reliability by applying Machine Learning , helping communications service providers deliver on the promise of 5G .
While investment and experimentation are extremely important , the biggest and most common strategic mistake companies make when exploring AI is failing to define a clear use case and desired outcomes .
We ’ re seeing great strides across many countries , and I don ’ t believe no one country will prove more significant than another – and that no solution can wait . Fostering good health and clean energy to bolstering sustainability , climate action and responsible production are all equally important for the MEA market . We ’ ve seen how different
regions are at different levels of maturity and innovation as they tackle these issues and what excites me is how all the convergence of emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing will accelerate the MEA ’ s ability to address these grand , and often complex , challenges . p
JULIA CARVALHO , GENERAL MANAGER , IBM
AFRICA GROWTH MARKETS
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