Artificial Intelligence is rife with contradictions. It is a powerful tool that is also surprisingly limited in terms of its current capabilities. And, while it has the potential to improve human existence, at the same time it threatens to deepen social divides and put millions of people out of work. While its inner workings are highly technical, the non-technical among us can and should understand the basic principles of how it works – and the concerns that it raises. As the influence and impact of AI spread, it will be critical to involve people and experts from the most diverse backgrounds possible in guiding this technology in ways that enhance human capabilities and lead to positive outcomes.
If we are to develop Uganda cities in a way that is smart, sustainable, clean and functional to its habitants both people and animals then we need to embrace Artificial Intelligence. We know that as Cities Consortium we will need to work with organizations, scholars and different companies in this space to explore unique solutions to Ugandan challenges. Artificial Intelligence is the technology we can’t ignore and since its built on big data which is geospatial then we can not depend on other nations data, it means we need to build local models on Ugandan data to serve as well. As Cities Consortium we call on all stockholders in the Artificial Intelligence space join us in solving urban challenges in Housing, air pollution, diseases, transport and unemployment in all Cities in Uganda.
This briefing is based on the views of a wide range of experts from the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network and is curated in partnership with Matissa Hollister, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Desautels School of Management at McGill University.
© 2022 World Economic Forum.
