Experts meet in Kenya to promote adoption of AI in Africa

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Regional and global technology experts kicked off a four-day meeting in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa on Monday to discuss ways to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa.

The Africa Artificial Intelligence Conference (AIPAC 2025) brought together more than 1,500 delegates of policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators to exchange views on ethical AI and real-world applications of the technology on the continent.

Mary Kerema, secretary of ICT, e-government, and digital economy in the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, said the meeting came at a time when Kenya is harnessing the power of AI to ensure it plays a key role in uplifting the lives of people in all sectors of the economy.

"The country's AI strategy is anchored on the development of necessary digital infrastructure and data systems to facilitate local AI innovations," Kenema added.

She urged African countries to prioritise the development of AI solutions that promote the use of local language data to ensure the production of tools that reflect the continent's unique social and cultural contexts.

Harun Katusya, director and chairman of the AIPAC 2025 Secretariat, said the conference will provide a platform on how Africa can leverage AI to transform agriculture, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and the creative sectors.

Katusya also revealed that participants of the forum are expected to address risks such as bias, discrimination, and transparency in AI decision-making.