African Potential: The Intersection Of AI, Crypto, And Digital Inclusion

   Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Kenya medical training college students, use their mobile phones to take pictures of doctors ... [+] chanting as they make their way to the health ministry headquarters protesting with placards to demand better pay and working conditions in the capital, Nairobi on April 16, 2024. Hundreds of hospital doctors joined a demonstration in the streets of the Kenyan capital as a nationwide strike by medics neared its fourth week. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP) (Photo by SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images It’s everything that’s currently wrong with artificial intelligence in a single tweet. Elizabeth Laraki posted on X/Twitter about a bad experience she had with AI. Elizabeth Laraki is due to speak at an (unnamed) UX/AI conference later this year, and came across an ad for the event featuring the photo she’d supplied. Except it wasn’t: the image used in the tweet was subtly different. Whereas her original photo showed an appropriately-dressed businesswoman, the doctored image showed her shirt unbuttoned to reveal a suggestive peak of her bra. Who was this rogue air brusher? Women working in the tech industry won’t be surprised to learn that the villain, ironically, is artificial intelligence itself. It turns out the organizers had used an AI tool when cropping and sizing the image, and it had automatically decided to make Elizabeth look far racier than she’d ever have wanted. What caused the AI to act in such an inappropriate and sexist manner? Simple: because so much female imagery online is sexualized, AI is trained to think this is how women should look. AI Airbrushing Makes Changes X (Twitter) Of all the ethical and practical challenges we face in an AI-powered future, this might seem like a fairly peripheral thing to worry about (although I can assure you, inherent anti-female bias is of absolutely central importance to every woman). It highlights, however, an issue that affects pretty much everyone who isn’t a white man from the Global North: inherent biases that ultimately stem from AI’s representation problem. The good news is that things are changing fast. Women are increasingly represented at every level of AI and web3, including as founders and CEOs. So let’s go in search of the next generation of female tech talent – and what better place to start than in Africa? Inspirational Women This week I announced the winners of "Most Inspirational Women in Web3 and AI" at Singularity South Africa. The 135 winners comprise women who are playing a central role in shaping the future we will all soon inhabit. What’s especially encouraging is how many of these inspirational women are occupying the highest positions, as either CEOs or founders. This indicates that our young industry is making significant strides towards fair and equal representation – although there’s clearly a long way still to go before we even approach parity with men. Since we did the announcement of the the most inspirational list at Singularity South Africa in Johannesburg, I want to talk about our choice of venue, because that tells another critical story about the future of representation in AI. It is summed up here at a high level. "Hosting events that celebrate inspirational women in AI and Web3 in the world but specifically Africa is crucial for fostering innovation and economic growth on the continent. By promoting diversity in these cutting-edge fields, we can tap into a wider pool of talent and perspectives, leading to more inclusive and effective technological solutions. Such initiatives not only inspire the next generation of African tech leaders but also help bridge the gender gap in the industry, ultimately contributing to Africa's digital transformation and economic development," commented Mic Mann, Co-CEO of Singularity South Africa. Africa Rising Our decision to unveil this year’s Inspirational Women at Singularity South Africa was a no-brainer. It is one of the most prestigious tech events in a continent that’s on the cusp of becoming a global powerhouse of innovation. With over 60% of Africa's population under the age of 25, the continent is poised to become a major source of tech talent in the coming years. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2035 there will be more young Africans entering the workforce each year than in the rest of the world combined. Africa, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, is emerging as a global leader in cryptocurrency adoption and innovation. The region ranks high on the Global Adoption Index, with Nigeria maintaining its position as the second-largest crypto market worldwide. Cryptocurrencies, especially stablecoins, are being widely used for practical purposes such as business payments, hedging against inflation, and facilitating cross-border transactions. Digital generated image of hand with dark skin tone going through portal and touching robotic hand. ... [+] Metaverse and Web3.0 concept. XYO, a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN), is making significant impacts across the continent by enabling smartphone users to earn cryptocurrency through data collection. This technology has led to life-changing earnings for many participants, from paying off mortgages to starting businesses, with potential to transform entire communities by connecting them to the global data economy. XYO's efforts are also addressing data bias by incorporating more African data into global datasets, contributing to a more comprehensive and human-centric understanding of the world. As Markus Levin, Co-Founder of XYO, states: "To date there have been 434,998 XYO data nodes all across Africa and together they earned millions in XYO. I am excited to hear all their individual stories. Africa is at the heart of XYO's expansion strategy and we see huge potential for the entire DePIN ecosystem." Markus Levin, Co-Founder of XYO Sub-Saharan Africa leads the world in DeFi adoption, driven by the need for accessible financial services in a region where traditional banking is limited. Stablecoins have become crucial in countries facing foreign exchange crises and currency volatility, accounting for about 43% of the region's total transaction volume. Africa's real-world crypto use cases offer valuable lessons for the global market, positioning the continent as a potential future leader in crypto innovation and financial inclusion. Africa’s tech sector is often written off or, worse, ignored. That’s a massive, myopic mistake. Sure, the continent faces several significant challenges, not least with its relatively underdeveloped digital infrastructure. Yet, what it might lack in connectivity, it more than makes up for in talent and ingenuity (a fact reflected in the number of African winners and nominees in this year’s Inspirational Women). Africa has a thriving AI industry, with developers applying the technology in incredibly creative, groundbreaking ways to solve specific local challenges – with healthcare a particular focus. I can’t do much more than scratch the surface of Africa’s burgeoning AI sector, but I’m particularly excited about projects that use the technology to make drugs and vaccines better tailored and more effective for local people. To take just one example, Ocular is an app that uses a 3D-printed adapter that connects a smartphone camera to a microscope, and uses predictive AI to judge if cervical lesions are cancerous. It’s the perfect example of an African solution to an African challenge, and which works with existing technology and infrastructure. That’s not to say Africa’s AI solutions are only locally relevant; in fact, these countries face many challenges with the rest of the Global South, so there’s huge potential for AI to become one of the continent’s most lucrative exports. Little wonder that a recent report from Google estimates that artificial intelligence (AI) could contribute over $30 billion to sub-Saharan Africa’s economy in the coming years. No Representation without Education None of this is to deny that Africa faces significant obstacles on its journey to become a global hub for AI. I’ve already touched on the infrastructure challenges, and these are not easily overcome. Internet access across sub-Saharan Africa is patchy to say the least: while around two thirds of people in southern Africa are online, that falls to only 24% in Central Africa, while the figure for West Africa is around 30%. Connectivity is critical for the success of AI, and not just for the functioning of AI agents and services. If we are to develop truly representative AI, we need to reach those who, by definition, have traditionally been locked out from previous digital revolutions. That’s why the next frontier for AI is education, which is why we’re seeing huge investment in initiatives to foster the next generation of (especially female!) talent across Africa. Groups like Data Science Nigeria, Data Science Africa, and South Africa’s Deep Learning Indaba do tremendous work in organizing conferences and training events, providing research grants for local AI projects, and awarding mentorships, grants and awards. I’m proud to say that Unstoppable Women of AI / Web3 – the organization I founded and which is behind Inspirational Women – is also playing its part, with our commitment to provide Web3 and Metaverse education to six million women in Africa over the next five years. This is just the beginning of a long journey to eliminate dangerous biases from AI and make sure it brings equal benefits to everyone, regardless of their sex, race, nationality, sexuality, or any other characteristic. Yet when I look at Africa’s burgeoning AI sector, or at our Inspirational Women winners, I know we’re going in the right direction. Elizabeth Laraki’s story is just one, relatively minor example of what happens when a whole group of people are sidelined by AI. That’s what representation means to me: it’s not just a tick-box exercise that gives equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practitioners something to justify their exorbitant salaries. For women, for Africans, and for many other marginalized groups, it’s about making sure our outlooks, opinions, experiences, and, of course, leadership are at the forefront of the most momentous technological and societal revolution in our lifetimes. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Sandy Carter Editorial Standards Forbes Accolades