Artificial intelligence for Ethiopia: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has wide range of applications in all areas and is gaining the understanding of the society as necessity instead of luxury. AI start ups are working to improve the quality of social interactions (social good), Education, Agriculture, manufacturing, health and medicine and public services. Hence the cost of not developing AI or developing it late is enormous. Despite the opportunities AI technologies may offer, there is a real risk that without thoughtful intervention it may in fact exacerbate structural, economic, social, and political imbalances, and further reinforce entrenched inequalities. For regulators and policymakers around the world, uneven access to technology remains a major concern because of its potential impacts on social and economic inequality. The author has conducted an exploratory research by reviewing related literatures on AI opportunities and challenges from experiences of the developed world and provided a discussion to identify the potential opportunities and expected challenges for AI adoption and implementation in Ethiopia. Finally the author has recommended what should be done.

Keywords: Artificial, Intelligence,, Exploratory, Research, Skills, Infrastructure, Data, Privacy