KEY POINTS
- International diplomats, Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), and students are calling for “Responsible AI” that prioritizes inclusivity in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
- Global partners from Taiwan, the UK, Austria, and Finland shared strategies for human-centric AI design and human capital investment.
- Advocates emphasized that AI tools must be accessible to marginalized groups from the design stage to be considered ready for large-scale adoption.
MAIN STORY
At the third edition of the InnovateAI Conference held recently in Lagos, a diverse coalition of diplomats, persons living with disabilities, and school pupils made a unified call for the inclusive development of Artificial Intelligence. Under the theme “Responsible AI Beyond Innovation,” speakers argued that Nigeria’s digital future must be anchored in ethics and cross-border collaboration to ensure no citizen is left behind.
The Ambassador of Taiwan to Nigeria, Yih Ping-Liu, highlighted how sustained investment in human capital transformed Taiwan into a global semiconductor and AI powerhouse. He urged Nigerian states to replicate this model by prioritizing “brain power” over natural resources. Similarly, representatives from the UK, Austria, and Finland emphasized that while AI can drive innovation in satellite technology and healthcare, it must be safeguarded against risks like deepfakes and fraud through human-centric design.
A significant portion of the conference focused on accessibility. Stephanie Egareva of the Mastercard Foundation, speaking as a person with a disability, warned that AI systems often default to standard users, effectively excluding the marginalized. She argued that if a tool cannot be used independently by a person with a disability, it is not ready to scale. This sentiment was echoed by young students who recognized AI as a “superpower” for personalized learning but cautioned that it should never replace human creativity or critical thinking.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
- “If a tiny country like Taiwan can transform itself through brain power and investment in human resources, every state in Nigeria can do the same,” said Ambassador Yih Ping-Liu.
- “As a person with disability, responsible AI means building systems that do not compute for only the default user,” stated Stephanie Egareva of the Mastercard Foundation.
- “AI is like a superpower… but it must be used responsibly and should not replace human thinking or kindness,” noted Oluwadamilare Falana, a Year Five pupil.
WHAT’S NEXT
- Stakeholders are calling for the integration of diverse datasets to prevent algorithmic bias against marginalized groups in future AI projects.
- Nigeria is expected to explore further partnership opportunities with Taiwan, the UK, and Finland for AI hardware and manufacturing development.
- Advocacy groups will push for the direct involvement of PLWDs in the initial design stages of local tech products.
BOTTOM LINE
The Bottom Line is that innovation alone is insufficient for a sustainable digital economy. For AI to truly serve Nigeria, it must move beyond technical milestones and adopt a “responsible” framework that is accessible to children, the disabled, and those at the margins of society.
