New report indicate that Agriculture sector in Africa takes the helm in utilizing Artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth and development.
A new GSMA report released on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, highlights the immense potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to propel Africa’s socio-economic growth across key sectors such as agriculture, energy, and climate.
The report, titled “AI for Africa: Use cases delivering impact,” identifies over 90 AI applications with the potential to create a $2.9 trillion economic boost for the continent by 2030.
While Africa currently accounts for only 2.5% of the global AI market, the report emphasizes the region’s capacity to leverage AI to address pressing challenges. However, the report also underscores the need to overcome obstacles like limited data centers and high technology costs.
Agriculture: A Major Focus for AI Applications
The agriculture sector, which employs 52% of Africa’s workforce and contributes 17% to GDP on average, is a primary target for AI-driven solutions. Up to 80% of food production in Sub-Saharan Africa relies on smallholder farmers who often lack access to modern farming techniques.
The GSMA report found that the majority of AI applications in agriculture focus on machine learning (ML)-enabled digital advisory services, providing farmers with data-driven recommendations to improve yields and adopt climate-smart practices.
Energy and Climate Action: Key Areas for AI Impact
The energy sector in Africa faces significant challenges, with half of the population lacking access to electricity. AI-powered solutions are being deployed to enhance both on-grid and off-grid infrastructure, with applications ranging from predictive maintenance to energy access assessment. The report emphasizes the importance of improving energy access and efficiency to create a virtuous cycle that supports broader digital development.
Climate change poses a substantial threat to Africa, with the continent disproportionately affected despite contributing less than 3% of global CO2 emissions. AI is being leveraged to develop early warning systems, monitor biodiversity, and support natural resource management.
Overcoming Challenges to Unlock AI’s Potential
To fully realize the benefits of AI, Africa must address several challenges. These include the scarcity of high-quality local data, the limited availability of data centers and computing power, and the high cost of AI technologies. The report suggests that mobile-based edge computing can help overcome infrastructure limitations by enabling AI applications to run on smartphones.
Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Head of Mobile for Development at the GSMA, emphasized the importance of skills development, partnerships, and ethical AI frameworks to ensure that Africa benefits fully from the AI revolution.
” To harness the transformative potential of AI across Africa, there needs to be a strong focus on increasing skills for both AI builders and users, especially among underserved populations. Better training programmes are essential, particularly in the face of a global brain drain on AI talent. To ensure Africa doesn’t get left behind, strong partnerships are required across a broad ecosystem of partners including ‘big tech’, NGOs, governments, and mobile operators. Policies must also evolve to address inequality, ethics, and human rights concerns in AI deployment. As African countries shape their own unique AI strategies, active engagement in global forums will be pivotal in defining regulatory frameworks that promote ethical AI development and safeguard societal interests, moving toward sustainable solutions that benefit all African communities.”
The GSMA report calls for increased investment in AI research, development, and deployment, as well as supportive policies to create an enabling environment for AI innovation. By addressing these challenges and leveraging AI’s potential, Africa can accelerate its socio-economic development and build a more sustainable future.