The Deep Learning IndabaX Nigeria 2024 conference in Abuja spotlights the impact of AI-driven innovation on the Digital Economy in Nigeria.

According to a data scientist, African industries stand to gain significantly from closing the adoption gap for generative Artificial Intelligence.

During her recent speech at the Deep Learning IndabaX Nigeria 2024 conference in Abuja, Dr Roselyn Isimeto, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, underlined how revolutionary Gen AI may be for businesses throughout the continent.

Isimeto stated that “African companies can leverage this cutting-edge technology to drive profitability and innovation by adopting Gen AI.”

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The challenge with AI-Driven Innovation

Artificial intelligence systems that are educated on data and can produce original content are generative AI systems.

This can involve producing writing, graphics, audio, films, and more. In contrast to traditional AI, which often performs data analysis or classification, generative AI generates novel, creative results.

The University lecturer stressed how the Sustainable Development Goals—a set of objectives set forward by the UN in 2015 to promote world peace and prosperity—can be achieved partly by applying Gen AI.

She also mentioned that there was still a problem with the insured for more local datasets and Gen AI skill sets, emphasising that data was necessary to construct those data-driven applications because it spurs innovation. “No data, no innovation,” she declared.

Sectors that could benefit from Gen AI

Isimeto listed several industries that could profit from artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, such as marketing and advertising for creating content and customised marketing copy, customer service for conversational agents and sentiment analysis, and finance and banking for creating documents and detecting fraud.

Gen AI has medical applications that include drug discovery, treatment planning, medical diagnostics, and improved patient care and support.

While the education sector could gain from individualised learning experiences and empowered educators, the media and entertainment industries could use it for image enhancement and music and video development.

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According to data scientists, other industries, including agriculture, law, real estate, manufacturing, retail, energy, human resources, and fashion, stand to benefit from artificial intelligence.

Isimeto also provided a case study of developing an application using the Large Language Model, highlighting that multiple processes were required, “from” understanding your requirements to deploying the application.”

The university lecturer stated, “By following the steps, you can build a robust LLM application tailored to your particular needs.” Isimeto also conducted a hands-on demonstration to teach attendees how to begin developing Gen AI apps.

Isimeto counselled firms to reinvent their business models, services, products, processes, marketing innovations, etc., to close the adoption gap.