from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – AN economist has urged African states to uphold democracy if they are to be successful in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) governance.
Dr Simba Makoni, the former Zimbabwean finance minister and executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), believes upholding democracy could pave the way for proper AI governance in the country and the continent.
“I want to suggest that before we have general governance, we will not have AI governance,” he said.
Makoni was speaking at a seminar in Harare, held to explore the prospects of AI in enhancing African economies.
“One of the key challenges that we face in this country, on the continent, we cannot enhance AI governance in an environment of democracy recession,” he said.
Makoni proposed, “So, as we strive with all the bright ideas that bear on advancing AI, we need to strive even more on all the ideas that enhance popular governance.”
The expert recalled how his country had some of the most prominent pioneers in technology but lost their expertise because of partisan politics.
Among them is Strive Masiyiwa, founder and executive chairman of international technology groups, Econet Global and Cassava Technologies.
Successive governments are accused of stifling entrepreneurs that do not align with the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), in power since independence 45 years ago.
“We are fortunate in this country that we have pioneers,” Makoni said of Zimbabwe.
“Strive pioneered mobile telephony in this country. Arthur (Mutambara) is pioneering AI. Nigel (Chankira) pioneered indigenous banking. There are many, I will not exhaust them.”
Formerly ZANU-PF, Makoni was an independent in the disputed 2008 elections in Zimbabwe.
– CAJ News