By Fom Gyem

TECHDIGEST – It is no more news that Artificial Intelligence (AI) growth can be attributed to Digital Innovation and the evolution of technology. Globally, countries are grappling with ways to manage the exponential growth of new and emerging technologies to advance their economies.

AI remains one of the most significant technologies for business, the economy, and society and the engine of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This calls for a comprehensive understanding of AI that takes into account its technical, organizational, legal, social, and philosophical dimensions.

In the history of commerce, the economy, and society, artificial intelligence (AI) is undoubtedly one of the most potent technologies. There are many different kinds of AI algorithms and systems, but two of them are frequently used in business: those that use predetermined, possibly human-defined rules to make predictions, suggestions, and decisions, and those that learn these “rules” (which are in general mathematical functions) from data.

The entire range of governmental laws, rules, court rulings, and municipal ordinances is characterized by a well-designed policy. Such public policies implemented by the federal, state, and local governments affect everyone because a government naturally has impacts on every part of our life.

Also in cognisance of the exponential growth and potential value of digital technologies, which is in line with the vision of President Muhammad Buhari to diversify the Nigerian Economy through utilizing digital technologies, the President launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), developed by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, to reposition Nigeria’s Economy and leverage the many opportunities provided by these digital technologies.

I am therefore delighted that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Ali Isa Pantami recently directed the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to develop a National Artificial Intelligence Policy (NAIP).

In a press statement signed by the spokesperson of NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar, the development of the NAIP is envisaged to maximise the benefits, mitigate possible risks, and address some of the complexities attributed to using AI in our daily activities.

According to her it would provide directions on how Nigeria could take advantage of AI, including the development, use, and adoption of AI to proactively facilitate the development of Nigeria into a sustainable digital economy.

NITDA is responsible for developing standards, guidelines, and frameworks for the IT sector in Nigeria, as enshrined in Section 6 of the NITDA Act 2007. The Agency therefore invites the public to contribute and participate in developing National Artificial Intelligence Policy (NAIP).

While inaugurating the establishment of the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR) in 2020, Pantami listed the immense and immeasurable benefits derivable from the project. He disclosed that the Federal Government had indicated its willingness to partner with the Nigeria Computer Society on Artificial Intelligence to boost the nation’s economy.

During the maiden edition of the Artificial Intelligence Summit, Pantami, who was represented by the Director, National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Yau Garba, said research on AI and other emerging technologies was ongoing with researchers in various universities across the country.

He said, “AI is ushering new ways of planning, traveling, and working. Its innovative use has been changing lives for the better, creating new jobs and augmenting some existing ones while entirely replacing others’’.

The goal of AI policy is dual. To ensure AI’s numerous advantages for the economy and society, governments should, on the one hand, invest in its development and implementation. Governments can accomplish this by funding basic and applied research, the training of specialists in AI technologies, the development of digital infrastructure and related technologies, and initiatives that support the adoption and use of new AI technologies by both the public and private sectors. On the other hand, governments must also react to the societal and economic problems that the development of AI has created. Automation, algorithmic bias, data exploitation, and wealth inequality are just a few of the numerous issues that need policy solutions from governments all over the world.

In the last six years, computers have learned to speak and interpret all of the languages spoken on the planet, recognize faces and objects, and even play challenging video games. In the coming years, industries, as varied as transportation and healthcare, are expected to undergo significant change. Some of our favorite services, like Netflix and Google Search, are already based on AI algorithms. Simply put, governments are now aware of the disruptive potential of AI and are attempting to prepare for it.

But there is a story of competitiveness beyond this technological advancement. It is now obvious that there is much more demand than there is supply for AI skills. Only 22,000 PhD-trained AI researchers are present worldwide, with the majority (40%) concentrated in the US, according to a report by Element AI. Countries are hurrying to create AI Master’s and Ph.D. programs, short-term training initiatives, massive open online courses, scholarships, and fellowships in order to train domestic talent and draw in international expertise. Nearly every recent national strategy incorporates a mix of these programs to draw in, keep, and advance AI talent.

Policymakers can’t leave AI to computer scientists alone because it is so crucial to do it correctly.

They have to consult with legal professionals, economists, ethicists, psychologists, philosophers, and of course the communities they serve as they formulate policy. NITDA has taken that step forward to seek for everyone’s contributions to make this policy benefits the country and the people.

Since NITDA has called for public contributions, this is the time for human rights activities, public commentators, tech analysts, ICT specialists, the media and the general public to provide their perspective and insights towards a workable National Artificial Intelligence Policy.

Fom Gyem writes from Wuye District Abuja

The post On National Artificial Intelligence Policy in Nigeria appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – AI which stands for artificial intelligence refers to systems or automated systems that perform tasks by mimicking human intelligence and can continually refine themselves based on the data they collect.

AI manifests itself in a variety of ways. Christopher Strachey, later director of the University of Oxford’s Programming Research Group, wrote the first successful AI program in 1951. Strachey’s checkers (draughts) program ran on the Ferranti Mark I computer at Manchester University in England.

This program could play a complete game of checkers at a reasonable speed by the summer of 1952. AI is very much about the process and the ability to think faster and analyze the data than it is about any specific format or function.

Although images of high-functioning, human-like robots taking over the world conjure up images of AI, the technology is not intended to replace humans. Its goal is to significantly improve human capabilities and contributions.

READ ALSO: ITU Appoints Pantami To Lead World Summit On Information Society Forum 2022

As it relates to artificial intelligence, there are several types of learning. The most basic method is trial and error.

A simple computer program for solving mate-in-one chess problems, for example, might try moves at random until a mate is found. The program could then save the solution along with the position so that the next time the computer encountered the same position, it could retrieve the solution.

This simple rote learning of individual items and procedures is relatively simple to implement on a computer.

Problem-solving, notably in artificial intelligence, can be defined as a systematic search through a set of possible actions to achieve a given objective or course of action. Problem-solving techniques are classified as either special purpose or general-purpose.

A special-purpose method is tailored to a specific problem and frequently takes advantage of very specific features of the situation in which the problem is embedded.

A general-purpose method, on the other hand, is applicable to a wide range of problems. One general-purpose AI technique is means-end analysis, which is a step-by-step, or incremental, reduction of the gap between the current state and the final goal.

AI programs have solved a wide range of problems. Finding the winning move (or sequence of moves) in a board game, formulating discrete mathematics, and manipulating “virtual objects” in a computer-generated world are some examples.

AI has evolved in lockstep with computer processing power, which appears to be the primary limiting factor. Early AI projects, such as chess and mathematical problem solving, are now considered trivial in comparison to visual pattern recognition, complex decision making, and the use of natural language.

It is a driving force behind the Fourth Industrial Revolution and one of the most important technologies for business, the economy, and society. This necessitates a multifaceted approach and a holistic understanding of AI, encompassing technical, organizational, regulatory, societal, and philosophical aspects.
AI is arguably one of the most powerful technologies in the history of business, the economy, and society. While there are many different types of AI algorithms and AI systems, two that are commonly used in business are those that use predetermined, and possibly human-defined, rules to make predictions, recommendations, and decisions, and those that learn these “rules” (which are in general mathematical functions) from data.

For many years, organizations have used the former type of AI.

The second type of AI system is based on “machine learning.” Machine learning (ML) is on the rise. The heart of the majority of today’s AI systems.

ML is a field that combines computer science and mathematics. Science, math, and statistics concentrate on the creation of algorithms capable of analyzing data that is typically large in volume and complex in nature structure, in order to identify any patterns that may exist to be used to make predictions, decisions or recommendations.

Certain human functions, such as sensing and learning, can be performed by AI:
Sensing: AI allows machines to perceive the outside world by analyzing images, sounds, speech, text, and other data collected via IoT sensors or directly fed into the system.

Learning: AI allows machines to improve their performance over time by learning from past results, successes, and failures.
AI has gradually crept into the mainstream. It now pervades people’s lives, tracking their movements, navigating them, and recommending content to watch, read, and listen to. Access to internet information is mediated by search engines, recommendation systems, and digital assistants.

Examples of common use cases in sales that use AI technologies for analysis, optimization, and prediction include to predict optimal next actions for sales representatives (e.g. when to offer discounts), personalize customer journeys across multiple sales channels, predict demand to support pricing decisions and supply chain optimization.
Similarly, in Human Resources (HR), multiple use cases use natural language processing technologies, including automating screening processes in recruitment and providing targeted appropriate training courses, providing analytic and predictive support to staff compliance monitoring e.g. spotting inappropriate behavior such as bullying in internal emails.

The explosion of data within businesses and societies is a key factor in the recent rise of AI. The rapid growth in data both makes AI possible and necessary. Data of multiple types have proliferated wildly in the past several decades.

In 2020 Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, lauded the immense benefits derivable from the establishment of the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR) in Nigeria. The Nigeria Federal Government has indicated its willingness to partner with the Nigeria Computer Society on Artificial Intelligence to boost the nation’s economy.

During the maiden edition of the Artificial Intelligence Summit, Pantami, who was represented by the Director, National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Yau Garba, said research on AI and other emerging technologies was ongoing with researchers in various universities across the country. He said, “AI is ushering new ways of planning, traveling, and working. Its innovative use has been changing lives for the better, creating new jobs and augmenting some existing ones while entirely replacing others’’.

Fom Gyem writes from Wuye District Abuja

The post Nigeria’s Steady Growth on Artificial Intelligence appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – The National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) and the Defence Space Administration (DSA) have agreed to collaborate in the research and development of cybersecurity for improved national security.

This was made known when the Chief of Defence Space Administration, Rear Admiral Nnamdi Anthony Mougilim and the management paid a working visit to NCAIR in Abuja.

Receiving the visitors, the National Director of NCAIR, Engr. Garba Ya’u said the Centre became a reality through the vision of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami who observed that Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and other emerging technologies are now directing where the world is going.

The National Director further stated that the Centre focuses on three areas of research and development for emerging technologies, capacity building, and collaboration and partnerships for national economic growth.

“When desired results are attained, commercialization will be put into consideration towards the growth and development of the economy’’, he said.

Speaking earlier, the Chief of Defence Space Administration, Rear Admiral Muogilim assured that the DSA would collaborate with NCAIR in the areas of research and development of space technologies, cybersecurity for improved national security.

“We are being faced with diverse problems across the country and one of the preferred solutions is the cutting edge technology which will aid in curtailing such problems in the country, for growth and development’’, he revealed.

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