What do you think of when you read the word delve? Put simply, it signals a deep dive, an inquiry that pushes you to engage with something more profound. These days, however, the term is commonly associated with generic outputs from large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT. Sometime in April last year, the word caused a stir, especially on X, when Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator and a respected figure in the global tech ecosystem, tweeted that he deduced a cold email he received was AI-generated because the sender used the word ‘delve’. Many were outraged by this, particularly Nigerians and Africans who grew up learning English via literature and textbooks with elaborate vocabulary. They were shocked to find that their everyday language was now referred to as ‘AI-generated’.
For days, the conversation continued. I got tired of it all eventually. Yet beneath all the online back-and-forths, the conversation revealed something deeper about the AI space and how we, as Africans, perceive our relationship with the technology. Should we be asking more about what major tech players are (or are not) thinking about when it comes to AI in Africa? In the current global race for AI dominance, where does Africa stand? What are the unique opportunities or issues we face as AI adoption rises in different aspects of our fast-changing world?’
In my weekly column, “Delve into AI”, I will delve deep into the conversation about AI in Africa and Africa’s place in the world of AI. On a weekly basis, I will provide people curious about AI in Africa with nuanced insights about how our continent’s AI trajectory is shaping up. AI is a fast evolving industry; this is a space for us to explore stories that help us all get smarter about the current and future landscape of AI on the continent.
In the coming months, we will explore:
- How generative AI is facilitating gendered harassment on social media.
- How commercial banks think about their AI strategy, if they have any, and what this means for you as a consumer.
- What role AI is playing in upcoming elections across Africa this year, or has played in past elections.
- The growing wave of initiatives on the continent training tech talent in AI and where this newly skilled workforce is actually going.
- AI startups on the continent that should be on your radar.
- The state of our data centres and how we compete globally in terms of data collection, processing, and storage.
Each column will examine, in detail, these topics and so much more about the AI ecosystem on our continent. Keep an eye out every Thursday for a new article and come along as we get smarter about AI and Africa’s future.
Mark your calendars! Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com
