Africa must create AI technology instead of paying to use it – Sam Jonah
Business leader Sir Sam Jonah has warned that Africa risks becoming a mere consumer of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies unless it invests in the skills and capacity needed to develop its own solutions. He said the continent must avoid a situation in which it imports technology, exports its data and pays foreign companies to access the resulting products and services.…
Sir Sam Jonah, a prominent business leader, cautioned that Africa risks becoming a mere consumer of artificial intelligence and digital technologies without investing in the necessary skills and capacity to develop its own solutions. Speaking at Methodist University Ghana’s international conference in Accra on October 15, he urged the continent to avoid the pattern of exporting raw materials and importing finished products by not repeating it with data in the digital economy.
The conference coincided with the university's 25th anniversary, themed "Excellence, Morality, and Service at 25: Advancing Digital Innovation, Equity, and Sustainability in a Transforming World."
Sir Sam emphasized that African universities must produce graduates capable of developing digital technologies rather than merely using applications developed elsewhere. He argued that countries achieving significant progress have invested in building their technical workforce. He urged entrepreneurs to focus on addressing problems in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, logistics, energy, and finance, especially for underserved populations.
Africa's opportunities lie in creating solutions tailored to the continent's needs, rather than merely replicating products from other regions like London and San Francisco.
Citing mobile money as an example, Sir Sam highlighted Africa's ability to devise solutions addressing local challenges, such as millions of Africans having mobile phones but lacking access to bank accounts. He warned that the next wave of technologies, including artificial intelligence, data, and automation, could deepen Africa's reliance on external providers if local expertise is not developed.
He also called for the promotion of entrepreneurship as a respected career path, urging more young Africans to create businesses and jobs rather than solely seeking government employment. With the necessary habits and investments, he stressed that Africa possesses the people, resources, and ideas to advance and turn its potential into prosperity.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
