As part of their efforts to drive sustainable development, promoting economic growth, and address the diverse challenges faced across Africa, PromptTo Tech Lab, in collaboration with the YALI Network Kano, recently hosted an influential conference in Kano focused on the transformative potential of AI on the continent.
The event brought together international AI experts who shared insights on how AI could drive Africa’s advancement across various sectors. Dr. Reza Rassool, Chair and CEO of Kwaai AI Lab, presented on democratizing AI with open-source personal AI tools, advocating for accessible and community-focused AI. “If AI is meant for humanity, why not start with personal AI?” he stressed, highlighting the need for inclusive AI development.
On his part, Matt Small, a Kwaai advisor, addressed AI’s reliability, emphasizing the importance of “human-in-the-loop” systems to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness in AI outputs. He highlighted the limitations of large language models (LLMs), describing them as “bullshit calculators” for their potential to generate misleading responses.
Small reiterated Kwaai’s commitment to making AI accessible and trusted, and shared how the advisory team actively monitors Kwaai’s mission to maintain its values and prevent profit-driven motives.
During the event, a participant raised concerns about Kwaai’s potential to follow the path of companies like OpenAI, focusing on profit over purpose. Matt assured attendees that Kwaai’s diverse advisory board safeguards its mission, ensuring alignment with its founding values.
Prof. Cristian Randieri, a member of the Forbes Technology Council and Kwaai’s EMEA Chair, showcased his research in AI-driven medical X-ray imaging, highlighting Africa’s potential to lead in AI research, particularly in the medical field. He encouraged participants to engage with Kwaai’s mission to bring innovative AI solutions to African healthcare.
Also speaking, Mr. Samuel Ovuehor, a data scientist at Acas UK, led a practical workshop on AI applications in civil engineering. Using Jupyter Lab, he demonstrated how AI computation can address real-world engineering challenges, providing attendees with hands-on experience.
The conference concluded with a panel discussion on AI applications in education, healthcare, agriculture, and business where PromptTo’s CEO, Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulrahman, CTO, Mr. Yusuf Babagana, and CMO, Mr. Auwal Yunusa, presented case studies highlighting their products’ impact, particularly in revolutionizing agriculture and social networking. Moderated by YALI Network Kano Lead, Mr. Barnabas Adeshina, the discussion highlights PromptTo’s innovative solutions tailored to Africa’s unique needs, marking a significant step forward in the region’s AI journey.