Burkina Faso has joined the league of African countries pushing for a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, launching a one-day workshop to lay the foundations for a blueprint.
According to a report, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Postal and Electronic Communications organized the event, drawing attendance from government agencies and private stakeholders. Dubbed the National Situational Analysis Workshop, the Ministry revealed that the inputs of attendees will form the core of the first National AI Action Plan.
Borlli Michel Somé, Secretary General of the Ministry, disclosed details of the AI workshop, noting that participants were divided into different working groups. Attendees were separated on key verticals, including governance, ethics, data, innovation, research, and training.
Despite using multiple working groups, Somé urged participants to adopt a collective approach in the discussions. A key feature of the workshop was a heavy presence of local talent rather than a reliance on foreign-trained experts in the development of a national AI strategy.
“This plan must deliver concrete and lasting solutions,” said Some. “AI represents a chance to create homegrown innovations that benefit all citizens.”
While efforts are made to launch Burkina Faso’s national AI strategy, authorities will first float a provisional roadmap for 2026-2028. During the workshop, Somé outlined key areas that the Ministry will focus on in pushing to keep pace with global AI digitization.
The country’s AI strategy will focus on expanding digital infrastructure to support AI-powered services. At the heart of the strategy is robust data governance, ensuring the ethical and transparent use of data.
Furthermore, Somé disclosed that Burkina Faso will pursue human capital development to deepen the talent pool while supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. The incoming national AI strategy will also prioritize international cooperation and aligning AI with national values.
Africa adopts AI but remains wary of the risks
Several African nations have unveiled national AI strategies amid soaring utility metrics over the last few months. A recent study revealed that Nigeria is leading the pack in using AI to reshape infrastructure and cities, with nearly 50% of Nigerian architects using AI models in their daily workflow.
The county has rolled out a series of training initiatives to deepen the talent pool for emerging technologies amid calls for harmonized policies to fully capitalize on the opportunities. However, there are fears that AI can eliminate as many as 40% of the continent’s tech outsourcing jobs.
Vietnam eyes new legislation to boost digital transformation metrics
Amid a raft of new laws prioritizing digitization, ecosystem players in Vietnam are bracing for a new rule designed to improve the pace of adoption for emerging technologies.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is preparing a draft version of the Law on Digital Transformation. The draft bill will attempt to create an interdisciplinary foundation to link physical and digital worlds, a part not wholly covered by other Vietnamese laws.
While other laws place a keen focus on technology service providers, the draft law places a burden on the government to drive adoption. Insiders say the Vietnamese government is mandated to create policies and roll out initiatives to accelerate the pace of digital transformation.
If passed into law by parliament, the government will have to earmark a significant part of the state budget funds to modernize existing digital infrastructure. Under the law, authorities will mobilize resources for new infrastructure to power the digitization pivot across key sectors of the economy.
While the central government has a weighty burden on its shoulders, the bill prescribes a fair share for government agencies. The incoming law will mandate agencies to pursue emerging technologies-led innovation, placing transparency and efficiency at the heart of their operations.
Going forward, relevant government agencies will be tasked with supporting SMEs across Vietnam in their efforts to embrace digitization. Authorities have to promote local digital platforms and create a competitive environment for ecosystem players while protecting the rights of consumers.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has highlighted distributed ledger technology (DLT) and AI as key focus areas for the incoming legislation. To smooth the curve, the draft bill will focus on deepening the talent pool for emerging technologies with universal digital skills for the Vietnamese workforce.
Vietnam surges on toward digitization
After the highest echelon of government in Vietnam announced its intent to digitize the economy before the end of the decade, the country has launched a flurry of initiatives to achieve its goals. In June, Vietnam legalized digital assets with a new law while making considerable progress with its digital ID adoption program.
Apart from finance, the quest for digitization has recorded significant milestones in healthcare, with the latest being the integration of electronic prescriptions into the national VNeID platform. Meanwhile, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency (YNA) have partnered to collaborate on digital transformation to improve reporting.
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Source: https://coingeek.com/burkina-faso-hosts-ai-workshop-vietnam-digital-transformation-law/