In the heart of Lagos, a diverse crowd of tech enthusiasts, industry experts, and government officials gathered at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos for InnovateAI 2024, a conference and hackathon themed “Adapting AI for Nigeria: Crafting Intelligent Solutions for our Unique Landscape.”
The two-day event organised by AI in Nigeria that started on Friday, February 23, brought together speakers that offered insights and sparked important discussions about the future of AI in the country.
Day one focused on laying the groundwork for AI adaptation with keynotes and discussions led by prominent figures including Roger Werkhoven of OpenAI, Abubakar Suleiman, Sterling Bank CEO, among others.
Major technological advancements historically shift power dynamics and geopolitics, affecting global wealth distribution, the Sterling Bank CEO said, cautioning that nations adopting AI would likely accumulate wealth, while others lag behind and become poorer.
InnovateAI 2024, which ignited discussions about the application of AI in Nigeria and its potential to address contemporary challenges, was kicked off by Ehia Erhabor, the co-convener of AI in Nigeria. He highlighted in his opening speech how AI advancements are changing the way we think, do everyday tasks, and behave.
The opening keynote address by Suleiman, Sterling Bank CEO emphasised the collaborative relationship between humans and AI when he said that AI should be viewed as a tool for positive change and improvement rather than as a threat.
The integration of AI, Suleiman said, should not pit man against machine, but rather prompt a consideration of how AI influences human intelligence.
Major technological advancements historically shift power dynamics and geopolitics, affecting global wealth distribution, the Sterling Bank CEO said, cautioning that nations adopting AI would likely accumulate wealth, while others lag behind and become poorer.
He is concerned that without significant investments, Nigeria may miss out on the numerous benefits of AI deployment.
“By doing what you can now,” Suleiman added, “you put the government in a better position to do something about what they’ve not done.”
The Sterling Bank CEO told the InnovateAI 2024 attendees thAT priority attention should be given to leveraging AI to address local challenges, such as healthcare accessibility and disease eradication, rather than solely focusing on high-level applications.
“I fear that if we don’t bring ourselves back to our own domestic environment, if we don’t domesticate this tool, there is a high risk that while this technology has so much capabilities, we would only involve the capabilities that is required by those who have invested in it and those capabilities that may actually be much more powerful in reducing global inequality and improving healthcare and giving access to high-quality education. Those capabilities may actually be ignored because like malaria, for as long as there is no profit to be made by those who have the most capital to deploy, capital would not be deployed unto it. And so, Nigeria must think about how they must deploy the capital to make sure that AI actually serves our country,” the Sterling Bank CEO said.
He further underscored the need for Nigeria to strategically invest in AI to ensure national development and competitiveness.
Suleiman concluded by urging both the government and private sector to recognize AI’s potential across all industries and its significance for organisational survival and national prosperity.
“I’m yet to think of a single sector or subsector that cannot benefit from looking into AI and how it would help them perform better,” Suleiman added.
Additionally, Werkhoven announced a new product by Brilliant Labs called FRAMES, an augmented reality feature in glasses that will launch this month. The OpenAI Creative Director explained to the InnovateAI attendees in Lagos that FRAMES would display data within the lenses and enable object identification.
Rodger Werkhoven, Creative Director of OpenAI, known for his significant contributions to the development of DALL-E and ChatGPT, shared insights into his work at OpenAI during his presentation when he discussed the challenges encountered in training ChatGPT that included issues with the data used. He highlighted a key problem the model faced in accurately projecting hands, as a result of its training on stock images of handshakes.
During the presentation, Werkhoven emphasised the importance of democratising AI and preventing its monopolisation by tech giants like Google.
He, along with Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Ilya Sutskever, advocated for AI to be aligned with human values rather than being controlled by a single entity.
Werkhoven also provided a preview of SORA AI, a text-to-video AI, demonstrating its capabilities by showcasing a Lagos marketplace scene, including the skyline.
Addressing biases in AI, Werkhoven discussed gender and race inequalities, leading to the creation of MissjourneyAI by TEDxAmsterdam Women in celebration of International Women’s Day, aimed at addressing biases in AI models. He highlighted the need for inclusivity in AI development and noted that biases in AI reflect biases present in society.
The OpenAI Creative Director, who discussed the future evolution of AI shifting towards conversational interactions rather than prompt engineering, illustrated this shift with a real-life user case of a blind woman interacting with an AI to assist her with daily tasks, such as identifying items in her fridge using a camera and reading books on the subway.
Additionally, Werkhoven announced a new product by Brilliant Labs called FRAMES, an augmented reality feature in glasses that will launch this month.
The OpenAI Creative Director explained to the InnovateAI attendees in Lagos that FRAMES would display data within the lenses and enable object identification.
Werkhoven reiterated his belief that AI should augment human capabilities rather than replace them, emphasising the role of individuals utilising AI tools in various domains. His mantra is that “AI will not replace you, someone using AI will replace you.”
On his part, Mr Adedeji Olajide, Chairman, House Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, House of Representatives, who also addressed the audience, stressed the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors in developing national AI strategies.
Furthermore, the lawmaker emphasised the role of media in leveraging AI and pledged collaboration with stakeholders to develop appropriate legislation. Electoral reforms and data cleanup are areas where AI could play a significant role in improving governance and public services, the lawmaker said, urging the tech industry to develop products that address those pressing public sector needs.
The lawmaker shared his personal career journey, where he transitioned from a mainframe operating to distributed computing and eventually cloud computing.
On his own, he underscored the importance of ‘legislation that fosters innovation’ without hindering progress, ensuring that all sectors, including health, finance, and education, can benefit from AI.
He stressed the need for inclusivity, when he noted that, “every Nigerian must benefit from AI.”
The lawmaker pledged the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting technology-friendly legislation to promote innovation, including emerging technologies like blockchain.
Olajide further highlighted upcoming initiatives by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), including a N5 million funding to 45 AI researchers and startups, and a digital literacy training for youth.
According to the lawmaker, NITDA aims to improve data penetration by combining fibre and satellite networks to make sure everyone in the country stays connected.
He called for Nigeria to seize its place as a technological leader on the continent and customise AI solutions to address local needs while respecting ethical boundaries.
Furthermore, the lawmaker emphasised the role of media in leveraging AI and pledged collaboration with stakeholders to develop appropriate legislation. Electoral reforms and data cleanup are areas where AI could play a significant role in improving governance and public services, the lawmaker said, urging the tech industry to develop products that address those pressing public sector needs.
Most notably, Olajide extended an invitation to the conveners, expressing his desire for them to visit the National Assembly. He offered to facilitate a session where they could engage with lawmakers to discuss ways to enhance AI technology adoption and regulation, promising to support their efforts by liaising with the Speaker and Senate President.
Femi Osinubi, Partner & Advisory Leader at PwC Nigeria, stated in his keynote address that PwC has placed a significant focus on AI.
Speaking on AI opportunities, Osinubi highlighted its power and ease of use, noting that conventional AI is improving, including foundational subjects such as machine learning and deep learning.
AI is no longer exclusive to traditional data scientists; it is widely utilised across various sectors, Osinubi explained, noting that AI can enhance both individuals and organisations’ value by aiding in better decision-making and leading to increased productivity.
Osinubi advised against merely developing solutions and instead encouraged setting clear goals, investing in infrastructure and skills, promoting inclusivity, and prioritising ethical considerations in AI implementation.
Speaking on AI democratisation and equitable access, Osinubi stressed the importance of ensuring that AI services remain accessible to those with limited digital literacy or access.
He also discussed AI’s impact and highlighted the risk of perpetuating biases unintentionally while explaining the importance of diversity in AI development to address this challenge.
He stressed the need for ethical frameworks and equitable access to AI solutions, particularly in public, regardless of individuals’ educational background or language barriers.
He also highlighted security concerns, particularly regarding generative models’ ability to create fake news and deep fakes.
Osinubi advised against merely developing solutions and instead encouraged setting clear goals, investing in infrastructure and skills, promoting inclusivity, and prioritising ethical considerations in AI implementation.
According to Osinubi, “the era of AI is here, it provides much more than efficiency, it offers fundamentally new ways of creating value. Nigeria and Africa can therefore not afford to be left behind.”
He went on to say that with careful planning and strategic implementation, AI can be harnessed effectively.
Dotun Adeoye, the co-convener, in his closing address, emphasised that diverse skill sets are required in AI use and adoption when he charged attendees: “let’s go for it and let’s use AI for good in Nigeria.”
Overall, the event underscored the enduring presence of AI and its critical role in driving innovation, enhancing productivity, and fostering inclusive growth across diverse sectors such as agriculture, education, and business in Nigeria.
Moving forward, a common thread running through most of the insights from the speakers is the call for stakeholders to continue collaborating and investing in AI development to ensure the country remains competitive on the global stage.
