Malawi Tech Meet Explores AI

Malawian tech enthusiasts and developers convened at mHub offices in Lilongwe on Friday for the inaugural Pie and AI event organized by the DeepLearning community. 

This initiative, led by the global AI training institution DeepLearningAI, aimed to explore solutions for local challenges in Malawi.

Journalism Innovator and iHubOnline founder Mallick Mnela, who serves as the DeepLearningAI Ambassador for Malawi said the event was organised to share tips on upskilling, accessing funding and leveraging AI technologies to tackle the challenges faced by resource-constrained countries like Malawi.

“AI is growing fast. We can only catch up if we are organised, collaborating and intentional in our efforts,” he observed.

Keynote speaker Dunstan Matekenya, a Malawian Data Scientist based in the United States, stressed the importance of developing AI tools tailored to the needs of Malawians. 

Matekenya highlighted the significance of incorporating local languages into AI infrastructure to create solutions that can cater to vernacular needs.

“Building local languages in AI infrastructure enables the creation of vernacular capable solutions. This makes sense in many dimensions. This is an area worth exploring further,” said Mnela.

At the event, developers showcased AI-powered prototypes designed for Malawian settings in education, research, coding, and journalism, demonstrating the potential impact of AI on solving local issues.

Mnela, who showcased tools he built after a series of courses with DeepLearningAI, emphasized the necessity for an inclusive AI ecosystem that benefits citizens in low-resourced countries like Malawi, highlighting the importance of local involvement in shaping the future of AI technology.

A Lilongwe-based developer and Mzuzu University ICT graduate Skeva Nkhoma described the event as an eye-opener.

“It was a very impressive event because it focused on knowing what to do. The take-home message is to learn and act,” observed Nkhoma.

In a pre-recorded message, DeepLearningAI founder and Stanford University Professor Andrew Ng reaffirmed the organization‘s commitment to providing quality AI education to individuals worldwide.