Is A.I a threat for African Creative industry ?

I still remember the first time I heard about Artificial neural Network (ANN) during my university days at #INPHB. It was in the class of process optimization with Pr. ASSIDJO. We studied the possible applications of ANN in manufacturing, processing, and agriculture to predict outputs of determined actions/parameters based on an historical data set of inputs, and outputs.

Later, I used it during my internship at the National Refinery Company to predict the output of hydrocracking units based on the physical and chemical parameters of crude oils received. Without naming it A.I, we were already equipped with Deep Q-learning understanding and application in businesses to improve decisions making processes , optimise costs, maximise outputs and to uncover human blind spots. 

Now where is the link with the African creative industry?

Dawn AI, Lensa, Rytr, and many other AI apps are trending now, and they opened the door to the creative-enabled AI applications for mainstream users. Now here is the problem, Data is food for AI. In other terms, the deep learning process is based on the set of inputs/outputs that are used to train the « brain » through backpropagation. Again, when it comes to the availability of accurate cultural data, Africa is still underrepresented in most current AI bases of knowledge. Therefore clichés and stereotypes are embedded in creating AI outputs for typical African use. The opportunity to create databases consistent with African diversity and cultural specifications is here.

African Cultural Heritage is playing its survival

In this world with the massive confluence of cultures, African cultural heritage is playing its survival. According to UNESCO 300 languages are endangered. While more than 60 have already disappeared. What a great opportunity to leveredge on AI to promote and preserve African cultural heritage.  Research of self-identity has always been a personal quest pursued by humans. Meaning is a key element to explain what is making us unique and then contribute better with others. Identiy is linked to culture, and preserving cultural heritage is ensuring the identity quest is made easier for the next generations. 

Is A.I it a threat or an opportunity ?

Imagine all those parents living in urban areas or in diaspora who struggle to pass cultural heritage to their children because they lack of time to travel to the roots or because they feel powerless face to the surrounding influence of other cultures, etc. Now, imagine their kids. With just a couple of keywords, they could discover consistently the uniqueness of their culture through AI-generated content. People want to dream! AI is more an opportunity than a threat to breach the gap of representativity in mainstream media! Thousands of books, illustrations, scenarios can be created in one hours to feed the curiosity and the imagination of all the un low-represented cultures. Data is food for AI. Let's create as much as possible food to ensure African cultural survival for the next world... Let’s also build the skills, #tensorflow is open source and available for any curious learner.

Let’s use AI with ethics!

@IvoryKoss

#artificialintelligence #artificialneuralnetworks # #creativeindustry #culturalheritage #inphb #tensorflow #

Credit photo: African Samurai, made on Stable Diffusion, creator night café studio