How Nigeria should approach AI (Part 2)

The many breakthroughs in AI, including large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, were only possible because of deep learning. I shall dedicate another article to LLMs. Deep learning is a facet of machine learning based on artificial neural networks. In layman’s terms, an artificial neural network is like a simulation of how the human brain works. The term “deep” in deep learning refers to the multiple layers of neural networks used in the architecture—specifically, the number of “hidden layers” between the input and output layers.

 “Over half of the research papers on AI around the world are written by Chinese because they started taking advanced degrees in AI.”

Going back to our light switch algorithm, what happens when the house is still dark by 9 am due to the gloominess of the sky? Well, with deep learning, the lights will not go off because the algorithm factors in many other parameters, not just the data on when it is usually switched on and off. More data parameters like weather, images, etc., are fed into the algorithm, and then when a real-time live stream of the house is collected, it can tell if the house is dark and needs light or it’s bright and doesn’t.

How should Nigeria approach AI?

In 2017, AlphaGo, built by DeepMind, a company now acquired by Google for $400 million, played the game of Go against the Chinese reigning champion, Ke Jie. AlphaGo won the match, and while I watched the game on YouTube, I could feel Ke Jie’s emotions. According to Ke Jie, he thought he could win the game; however, he felt tense psychologically and made some wrong moves. AlphaGo is an AI that was trained to play the game of Go.

The whole of China watched this match as if it was a World Cup final match against China and the USA. The victory of AlphaGo, a product from Google, only reaffirmed the Western dominance of technology over China. That defeat from the US seemed like a ‘Sputnik’ moment for them. They were going to fight the US for the world’s dominance of AI. This called for greater funding, policy support, and national coordination for AI development. It set clear benchmarks for progress by 2020 and 2025, and it projected that by 2030 China would become the centre of global innovation in artificial intelligence, leading in theory, technology, and application.

Read also: How Nigeria should approach AI (Part 1)

By 2017, Chinese venture capital investors had already responded to that call, pouring record sums into artificial intelligence startups and making up 48 percent of all AI venture funding globally, surpassing the United States for the first time. Over half of the research papers on AI around the world are written by Chinese because they started taking advanced degrees in AI. China had personally taken this defeat from a US machine.

AlphaGo is not going to play anyone in Nigeria. However, his little history provides us with both a lesson and a playbook for growing our AI dominance in Africa. Nigerian investors should look out for brilliant startup founders and incubate them to build great AI systems. The universities should teach advanced AI degrees to bolster research in AI. The government should set clear benchmarks for progress in 2026 and 2030. Allocate great funding for AI research and development, and create supportive policies. Then see how this will advance the development of the technology in Nigeria.

Some sceptics argue that following the Chinese playbook is overly ambitious. We have yet to develop as a country; we do not have the necessary infrastructure to pull this off. We do not have the talent pool; a vast majority do not even have a laptop. We do not have useful data… While all of these statements hold true, some young talents in Nigeria are building amazing things. Just last week, a young talent at the University of Lagos built YarnGPT, a text-to-speech model that speaks with local accents. Another startup is building a gamified platform to learn AI and data skills—Datarango. The developers have developed an AI that can mark, evaluate, and provide feedback to its users on how to write better code.

The AI revolution is well underway, according to the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang. If you are not using AI now, you are doing things wrong. AI is not going to take your job, but the person who uses AI. AI is not going to kill your company, but the companies using AI.

While I laud the efforts of the honourable minister of technology about his keen interest and investment in AI, these investments compared to the rest of the world are like drops in an ocean.

Jonathan is a driving force behind democratizing AI in Africa. As Founder and CEO of Zummit Africa and co-founder and CEO of Datarango. He is empowering thousands with in-demand AI skills. Jonathan brings technical expertise as an AI developer with over 4 years experience to his mission. Beyond education, he’s also shaping the ethical landscape of AI as a board member with the Nigerian branch of the International Law Association.