Importance of artificial intelligence for growth

Russian president Vladimir Putin is quoted as stating “whoever becomes the leader in artificial intelligence will become the ruler of the world.”

Despite its global context, this quote’s relevance can easily be localised and a cursory lens placed on the 47 counties and their inherent competition to be ranked as the best among peers.

Around the international community, artificial intelligence is being taken quite seriously as world powers have come recognise the changing landscape in technology and the use of data to propel them to gain economic, political and military dominance.

Unfortunately, county governments have been reluctant in utilising research as a basis in setting their development agenda, making the possibility of success with artificial research wishful thinking at the moment.

However, to achieve optimal efficiency in usage of public funds, counties have no option but to adopt AI.

Artificial intelligence requires a long-term strategic approach requiring county governments and even the central government to chart their own course with regards to its adoption and usage. One such area of focus will be the working landscape in the counties.

The devolved units could benefit immensely from use of AI in recruiting and hiring workers. AI is revolutionising the working landscape at an unprecedented pace with attention now placed on highly skilled and emotionally intelligent workers.

The traditional criteria of university degrees as minimum qualification for employment could soon become obsolete with the adoption of AI.

This has a damning repercussion as pertains to potential redundancy of workers, county government workers have no choice but warm up to the idea.

Technologists have predicted robots could soon replace half of all jobs in the next decade. This may sound alarming, but as history has revealed, technology has a tendency to replace but equally create new jobs but requiring new skills. In this respect, county governments have no choice but to invest in training of their workforce to enable them to evolve into new roles. The guiding principle going forward is for county workers to keep learning and improving themselves.

Since the advent of devolution, counties have encountered and are still facing difficulties when it comes to managing the huge workforce inherited from the defunct county councils.

This is one problem where AI could prove useful as county administrators would have greater control over their employees as well as manage the critical aspect of employee performance and promotions. Data mined from workers will enable human resource administrators to align them with jobs matching their skills and personalities. There are enormous opportunities that artificial intelligence offers to devolved systems.

Despite all the scaremongering narrative being peddled about job losses, issues of ethics and personal privacy, county governments should be open to the opportunities that AI creates in transforming how the society operates.

It will require greater collaborations with the central government, industry and technological experts and of importance, with institutions of higher learning. It’s time for counties to reap AI full potential.

Mwenda filed this article for NMG