Story by Mthokozisi Dube
ZIMBABWE is moving closer to becoming the 17th African country to adopt a national Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy, with consultations currently underway across the country.
The second leg of the AI validation workshop was held this Tuesday at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo, following initial engagements in Kadoma and Harare. The meeting drew participants from Government institutions, the private sector, academia, civil society, and development partners.
NUST’s Director for ICT, Professor Vusumuzi Maphosa, underscored the importance of inclusive dialogue.
“It is difficult to propel our efforts so that we make an achievement as a country. This strategy formulation or validation workshop is key so that everyone contributes to the successful implementation of our strategy for the country,” he said.
“Artificial Intelligence is the one that is leading. This session is quite important in the national strategy and it will guide our policy formulation. You will realise that we are doing this at the Professor Phineas Makhurane Technovation Centre, which happens to be our innovation hub where we have centres of excellence, and among those, we have a robotics centre which is guided by artificial intelligence. So the national strategy gives guidance to that and to have our student population and researchers embrace and be aware that AI is here to stay and utilise it,” NUST’s Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Development, Professor William Goriwondo added.
The government has pledged to incorporate views from all stakeholders into the national AI strategy.
“With our own AI strategy, developing infrastructure remains achievable hence we are gathering input from all stakeholders to come up with a better document. We want our young people to integrate ICTs so that they come up with solutions. Beyond that, we also need to have our regulations in place. You will also need to appreciate that we have done a readiness assessment report on AI. It is a milestone for us as Zimbabwe to become the 17th country in Africa to have an AI strategy,” the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services, Dr Beaullah Chirume.
The AI strategy is anchored on four pillars: AI talent and identification, solid infrastructure, adoption of service transformation, as well as governance ethics and regulation.
