Zimbabwe's internationally known robotics and mechatronics specialist and technology strategist has advised the government to address internet connectivity and energy problems in order to keep up with the global artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.
The Southern African nation has also been pushed to revise its academic courses in light of this transformation.
According to Professor Arthur Mutambara, this will eventually help to revitalise the country's ailing economy.
This comes as constant power outages and gaps in digital infrastructure negatively impacting Zimbabwe's education system, which was once a beacon of hope for Africa.
Prof. Mutambara who is based in South Africa spoke at a symposium in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, and recommended the government to handle the issues while also modernising its education system in line with global AI trends.
“You can't have AI without connectivity. You can't have AI without energy," Prof Mutambara argued. "We must get the basics right. Foundational matters must be addressed for us to reach the promised land."
Mutambara, a former Zimbabwean deputy prime minister and current full professor at the University of Johannesburg's Institute for the Future of Knowledge, was speaking to participants at the event titled The Economics of AI: Prospects and Possibilities for the Zimbabwean Economy.
He urged Zimbabwe to develop an AI strategy and integrate AI education into the primary, secondary, and higher education systems in order to nurture AI literacy from an early age, with pupils as young as six receiving AI education.
Prof. Mutambara believes that every university student in Zimbabwe should take courses in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and AI
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