TL;DR:
- Pulse Lab Kampala (PLK) has called for stakeholders to support the creation of a data and AI-friendly environment.
- Morine Amutorine, a data associate at PLK, stressed the importance of collaboration in scaling projects beyond Africa.
- PLK showcased its radio mining tool, a social listening tool powered by AI, at the Conference on the State of Artificial Intelligence in Africa.
- The Automatic Voice Recognition tool must be trained with a vast dataset of content, including text and audio, to be effective.
- Pius Kavuma Mugagga demonstrated the Pulse Satellite Tool, a product of a group of researchers at PLK in partnership with the UN Satellite Centre.
- The Pulse Satellite Tool was used for flood mapping during the Mozambique floods in 2021, and PLK is looking to develop a platform for anyone to upload and use satellite images.
- PLK, in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, aims to achieve accessible big data and AI governance by 2040.
- The Conference highlighted the potential for AI to transform the United Nations and deepen its impact.
Main AI News:
The Pulse Lab Kampala (PLK) has issued a call to action to stakeholders to support the creation of a data and artificial intelligence (AI) conducive environment. At the Conference on the State of Artificial Intelligence in Africa (COSAA) held in Nairobi, Kenya, last month, Morine Amutorine, a data associate at PLK, stressed the significance of collaboration in establishing communities and platforms that can aid in scaling projects beyond Africa.
Ms. Amutorine, who spoke at the Conference, emphasized that a project cannot reach its full potential working in isolation, particularly beyond Uganda or Africa as a whole. During the event, she showcased PLK’s radio mining tool, a social listening tool powered by AI. The tool can monitor multiple radio stations simultaneously and filter content based on specific keywords.
The tool can comprehend up to three local languages in Uganda, including Ugandan English, Acholi, and Luganda, and can listen to over 20 radio stations at once. Martin Gordon Mubangizi, the lead data scientist at PLK, explained that the Automatic Voice Recognition tool must be trained with a vast dataset of content, including text, pairs of text and audio, and a list of all words in a given language.
Ms. Amutorine stated that human effort is still necessary, particularly in transcribing and analyzing the data to evaluate personal perceptions. Pius Kavuma Mugagga, a data engineer with PLK, demonstrated the Pulse Satellite Tool, a product of a group of researchers at PLK in partnership with the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).
The goal was to develop an AI tool to estimate regional economic development, starting with experimenting with satellite imagery. The AI was programmed to identify, highlight, and count shelter rooftops, and the results were used to assess settlement mapping. By examining the rooftops, inferences could be made about the economic transition of a place.
The Pulse Satellite Tool has been proven to be a valuable tool in flood mapping, as evidenced by its use during the Mozambique floods in January 2021 caused by Tropical Cyclone Eloise. PLK is actively working towards creating a platform where anyone can upload a satellite image and access the results after the mapping process has been completed.
In collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, PLK has set a goal to make big data and AI governance accessible to everyone by 2040. The Conference on the State of Artificial Intelligence in Africa, which was the first of its kind in the region, showcased the potential of AI to transform the United Nations and make a deeper impact. By fostering a supportive environment for data and AI, stakeholders can tap into opportunities for growth and innovation, leading to positive changes across Africa and beyond.
Conlcusion:
The call to action by Pulse Lab Kampala (PLK) to support the creation of a data and AI-friendly environment highlights the growing recognition of the potential impact of AI on the market. The development of tools like the radio mining tool and the Pulse Satellite Tool demonstrates the advancements being made in the field and the potential for even more innovation. The goal of accessible big data and AI governance by 2040, in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, shows a commitment to advancing the use of AI in the market. These developments could lead to new opportunities for growth and positive change in the market and beyond.
