🌍 The promise of #ArtificialIntelligence (AI) is transformative, and I was thrilled to address its potential at the 2024 AfriLabs gathering in Cape Town. My presentation explored not just AI’s promise but also the critical work needed to combat bias and create inclusive, reliable Large Language models (LLMs) for Africa and beyond.
📊 AI’s growth is staggering: In 2022, the global AI market was valued at around $136 billion, and by 2030, it’s expected to soar to an estimated $1.8 trillion—an exponential increase underscoring AI’s profound impact on economies and societies worldwide. Today, AI systems generate approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily—equivalent to the total global data output from just a few years ago. This explosion in data generation and analysis offers unprecedented opportunities to improve development, healthcare, education, and business.
⚠️ However, with this promise comes the responsibility to address AI bias. During my talk, I highlighted three primary sources of bias:
1. Non-representative datasets – Large Language Models (LLMs) trained on data that overlooks specific populations lead to skewed outputs. For example, while Africa’s population represents about 18% of the global total, speaking over 2,000 languages, less than 2% of the digital data used to train AI models is based on African languages. This creates a significant gap and drives inequity.
2. Algorithmic bias – When algorithms unintentionally favor certain demographics, outcomes are compromised, particularly for underserved communities.
3. Societal bias – Pre-existing societal inequalities and isms such as racism, colorism, sexism, ageism etc can be amplified by AI if not carefully addressed.
🌐 Solutions are on the horizon, though. Initiatives like Masakhane, https://www.masakhane.io/ a community of African linguists, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI experts, are working to address these gaps, building digital repositories of African languages to diversify AI training data. Projects like Afrimedqa https://afrimedqa.com/ and MEDITRON https://lnkd.in/gXDjHx2z are setting new benchmarks in AI-driven healthcare, enhancing access to reliable, safe, and contextually relevant information in low-resource settings.
💡 To drive equitable AI in Africa and beyond, we must:
Conduct regular bias audits to detect and correct disparities in AI models.
Develop models inclusively with diverse, representative data from all demographics.
Collaborate with local communities to ensure AI reflects our world’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
I am excited to be part of this journey, building the future of AI as a tool that represents everyone. Let’s continue pushing for AI that is inclusive, ethical, and reflective of our global diversity. Together, we can build a digital world that serves us all.
#ArtificialIntelligence #Afrilabs #DigitalInclusion #AIForAfrica #TechForGood #BiasInAI #InclusiveTech #FutureOfAI
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📊 Despite Africa being home to 1.4 billion people and over 2,000 languages, the continent contributes less than 2% of the data used to train global AI models. With internet penetration at only 43% and accounting for just 4% of global internet traffic, most AI systems are shaped by data from regions like North America, Europe, and Asia. This leaves African languages, cultures, and perspectives largely underrepresented. As AI is projected to add $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, it is crucial to ensure African voices and perspectives are part of this transformation.
Join us at the AAG 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, for a presentation by Dr. Rachel Sibande, Senior Officer Global Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on addressing bias in foundational AI models. This session will explore the urgent need to establish ethical guidelines that respect native cultural values, norms, and perspectives, ensuring that Africa’s rich diversity is fully represented in the AI systems shaping our future.
Secure your spot at https://lnkd.in/d3nr7xWM to join this exclusive session and engage with over 120+ speakers and attendees at AAG2024.
#AAG2024 #AfriLabs #UnitingInnovation
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Bravo à Mme Amal EL FALLAH - SEGHROUCHNI, à l'équipe de l'Ai Movement, à tous ces participants institutionnels et non institutionnels, et à ces femmes africaines qui contribuent par leur travail et implication à tracer la voie de l'AI en Afrique. Ravi d'avoir pris part à cette magnifique cérémonie!