Artificial intelligence is increasingly seen as a powerful tool for promoting inclusivity, especially in historically underrepresented regions of the world. While AI has already revolutionized various sectors such as healthcare, education, and transportation, its potential to reduce inequality often remains untapped.
One of the major current challenges lies in accessing the technology and infrastructure needed to deploy these systems. In Africa, for example, the lack of local data and weak computing capacity represent major obstacles to creating AI solutions adapted to local realities.
Vukosi Marivate, a professor at the University of Pretoria and founder of Lelapa AI, highlights the importance of developing AI systems that speak local languages. According to him, allowing a patient to describe their symptoms in their native language rather than in a dominant language like English or French could improve the quality of care and communication.
It is also essential to integrate local populations into the process of creating these technologies. For Marivate, this means building AI models that take into account the cultural and linguistic specificities of communities, involving them in the creation of solutions that directly meet their needs.
Finally, while AI is poised to transform many aspects of daily life, challenges remain in terms of regulation, governance, and ethics.
