Artificial Intelligence (AI) is dominating Nigeria’s Google search trends, achieving a record-breaking surge in interest this year. Data from Google indicates that, in 2023 alone, AI-related searches saw a rise of 310% and a staggering increase of 1,660% over the past five years. The country’s fascination with AI has led to many questions, and Google’s West Africa Director, Olumide Balogun, recently shed light on some of these.
To put AI into context, Balogun describes it as a technology adept at learning from its environment, individuals, and past experiences. It’s a system that can discern patterns and make predictions more accurately than any previous technology.
He illustrated this with an anecdote: in 2012, Google introduced an AI model to numerous cat videos on YouTube. Today, technological leaps mean this model could, after reading extensive literature, depict a cat without ever seeing one.
According to a report by The Guardian, AI’s origin is traced back to the 1950s. British mathematician Alan Turing was pivotal in setting the initial principles of AI. However, the term “Artificial Intelligence” wasn’t coined until 1956, during a conference orchestrated by John McCarthy at Dartmouth College.
Balogun stressed, “AI isn’t a novel concept. Research in the domain has been ongoing since the 1990s. Even Google pivoted to an AI-centric approach in 2015. Yet, it’s only recently that AI has become a commonplace term thanks to tools like text-to-image generators or chatbots.”
The director also emphasized the ubiquity of AI in everyday utilities, ranging from Google Translate to car antilock braking systems. Its real transformative power is, however, only being realized now. Balogun passionately spoke about AI’s immense potential in ensuring sustainable development. In Africa, the focus is on nurturing industries that honor its diverse ecological wealth.
When asked about AI’s practical applications, Balogun explained, “Consider AI as a supremely efficient pattern detector and forecaster. Its brilliance lies in its capacity to learn from the surroundings and individuals. When channeled right, this capability can revolutionize sectors, from aiding doctors in cancer detection to helping businesses lower their carbon footprint. Many unknowingly use AI daily. Yet, tools like Bard or Google Maps now offer more advanced AI-driven solutions.”
Addressing concerns about AI’s possible dangers, Balogun noted the technology’s dual-edged nature. While AI has immense potential to benefit society, like forecasting floods or countering fraud, it can amplify societal challenges, especially misinformation and bias.
On the widely discussed topic of AI impacting employment, Balogun opined, “Historically, as technology evolved, so did professions. From agriculture-centric roles to contemporary job titles like web designers, the workforce has always adapted.
AI, seen as the third major wave of Internet and mobile phones, will undoubtedly enhance efficiency and productivity. Yet, it might also usher in a degree of disruption. The real transformative aspect is the partnership aspect of AI, aiding in mundane tasks, sparking innovation, and allowing professionals to focus on passion-driven aspects of their roles.”
In conclusion, Balogun pointed to initiatives like “Grow with Google” that aim to bridge the digital skill divide, having already trained seven million individuals. Through combined efforts from governments, NGOs, and the private sector, the goal remains to ensure everyone can harness the advantages of AI.
