ACS President Anthony Wong travelled to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe last week to speak about the enormous changes artificial intelligence will have on society.

Wong presented at the Computer Society of Zimbabwe Summer School, a flagship event attended by more than 200 students and ICT professionals from across Africa.

The theme of this year’s summer school was ‘ICT’s are critical tools for promoting human development and reducing inequalities’. The conference was officially opened by the Mayor of Victoria Falls, His Worship Sphiso Mpofu, with a welcome address from the Zimbabwean Minister for Information and Communications Technology, Supa Mandiwanzira.

Presenting on the topic ‘Artificial Intelligence, the good and the ugly’, Wong spoke about the opportunities and challenges offered by the rapidly evolving field. As the only representative from the Asia Pacific region, Mr Wong provided a unique perspective on AI advances in the region.

The event helps cement Zimbabwe as a digital leader in Africa. With inequality a significant and identified challenge for many African nations, presentations at the Summer School had a focus on how technological innovation can help address this issue.

Following Mr Wong’s address, delegates heard from Dr Kupukile Mlambo, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, who laid out plans for a move towards digital currency. This was seen as a visionary address in a nation which has faced significant currency challenges in the past. Delegates also heard from Moira de Roche, the chair of the IFIP IP3 and honorary Treasurer and Director of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals (South Africa).

Some footage of the event presentations can be viewed here.