France strengthens its national strategy for Artificial Intelligence in 2025

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to a set of technologies enabling machines to perform tasks typically reserved for humans, such as voice recognition, automatic translation, and the analysis of complex data. Its rapid development opens up immense opportunities, particularly in Africa.

Why now?

Now is the ideal time for Africa to invest in AI. The year 2023 marked a decisive turning point with the explosion of generative AI models. This advancement has democratised access to AI technologies, making their adoption more accessible to African businesses.

Why is the progression of enterprise AI intensifying?

AI has become a strategic lever for businesses, improving their productivity and competitiveness. It enables the automation of repetitive tasks, improved decision-making and optimised resource management.

Digital sovereignty: a challenge of technological freedom

Africa must ensure its digital sovereignty to avoid dependence on foreign solutions. This requires the development of local technologies and the control of digital infrastructures, guaranteeing data mastery and technological independence.

AI: Why opt for a sovereign stack?

A sovereign stack is built on locally developed technologies, promoting autonomy and the protection of African data. It reduces risks associated with foreign regulations and ensures the security of sensitive information.

The importance of data sovereignty for AI

AI relies on enormous quantities of data. It is therefore crucial that this data is hosted and protected in Africa to prevent information leaks and guarantee confidentiality.

A sovereign and ethical AI rests on four pillars

1. Transparency regarding the origin and ownership of data and algorithms used

2. Information on the interactions between the different systems in use

3. People at the centre of concerns

4. Cybersecurity and the integrity of AI systems

The Nyong project

Nyong is a sovereign African AI project aimed at developing solutions tailored to local needs. It is built on open-source technologies and infrastructures hosted in Africa.

LLM - Large Language Model

Large Language Models (LLM) are advanced AI models capable of understanding and generating text in natural language. Their use helps improve research and optimise many sectors, including administration and education.

The AI project at ST DIGITAL: the foundation

ST DIGITAL is developing a sovereign AI based on cutting-edge technologies such as Ollama and Llama 2.

Ollama and Llama 2

• Ollama is an infrastructure dedicated to AI enabling the secure deployment of machine learning models.

• Llama 2 is an advanced language model, used for text comprehension and generation, while ensuring enhanced data confidentiality.

How ST Digital uses AI

ST Digital applies AI across several strategic domains:

• IT infrastructure management: Monitoring and performance optimisation.

• Generation of intervention reports: Automation of technical reports.

• AI Chatbots: Improving customer service and user interaction.

Opportunities and use cases for AI in public services

AI offers effective solutions to modernise public administration:

• Citizen identification and authentication.

• Automation of administrative file processing.

• Optimisation of health and social security services.

A sovereign AI in service of public administration

An intelligent administration uses AI to improve the efficiency of public services, reduce processing times and enhance transparency.

Local data and languages

African AI must incorporate local languages to be accessible to the greatest number of people. This requires the development of linguistic databases and the optimisation of models for a better understanding of African dialects.

Introducing AI yes, but you must first create the right culture!

The adoption of AI must be accompanied by a cultural shift within companies and administrations. It is essential to train teams, adopt a collaborative approach and promote ethical AI governance.

Beyond data, AI rests on infrastructure and software

AI is not limited to data; it requires robust infrastructure (servers, data centers) and suitable software. Africa must invest in these resources to ensure its technological independence.

Artificial intelligence represents a major opportunity for Africa. By investing in sovereign solutions tailored to local needs, the continent can strengthen its digital autonomy and accelerate its technological development. ST DIGITAL, through its initiatives and expertise, plays a key role in this transformation. The future of AI in Africa is promising, provided that its infrastructures and data are mastered and a culture conducive to its adoption is cultivated.

More details in this webinar: https://youtu.be/3T9Xp9M4qtc?si=fUcr6TuD_P9sj5qX