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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Technology

Experts warn Africa risks becoming mere raw data supplier

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • Experts at a panel discussion warned that Africa risks becoming a mere supplier of raw data rather than a beneficiary of its digital future.
  • The discussion focused on data ownership, talent, and the digital future of Africa in the context of artificial intelligence.
  • Key figures from Google, iXAfrica Data Centres, and Standard Chartered Bank Kenya participated in the panel.

Africa faces the risk of being reduced to a raw data supplier, with its digital future and the benefits of artificial intelligence potentially bypassing the continent. This concern was highlighted during a panel discussion titled "The AI Scramble: Who Owns Africa’s Data, Talent and Digital Future?"

The event brought together leaders from various sectors, including Ugochukwu Obi-Chukwu, Founder/CEO of Nairametrics, who moderated the discussion. Participants included Alex Okosi, Managing Director for Africa at Google; Snehar Shah, CEO of iXAfrica Data Centres; and Charlette N’Guessan, Lead for Data Solutions, AI Ecosystem and Government Partnerships at Amini.

Other notable participants were the Founder of Afrokwary, the Founder & Former CEO of BACE Group, and Birju Sanghrajka, CEO & Head of Coverage, Corporate & Investment Banking at Standard Chartered Bank Kenya. The discussion aimed to explore critical issues surrounding data ownership, the development of local talent, and the overall digital trajectory of Africa in an era increasingly shaped by AI.

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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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