To date, Rwanda has around 10 Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineers, despite the role of the sector in offering credible solutions to many challenges a country faces, according to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT, Claudette Irere.
Her concerns were raised at the completion ceremony of Future Online AI Training Program underwent by Rwandan students. The trainings were conducted in partnership with Future Corporation, a Japanese IT company and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Future Corporation provided the trainings to six selected students from University of Rwanda for four months in collaboration with two Ph.D. students from Rwanda studying in Japanese universities.
Irere congratulated the new AI engineers and encouraged them to apply their acquired skills to solve real-life problems.
"AI itself does not make sense to people. It needs to be applied to something for laymen to understand. We hope you will help in giving it a sense in that way,” she addressed.
Olivia Rutayisire, one of the trained engineers told The New Times that AI solutions can be extended to almost every sector.
"I think there is no more desperate sector than others, our skills can be applied in agriculture, health, trade, to mention but a few. If we get the necessary support, we will make use of the training.”
AI cooperation to go further
The training was a business model that was on a trial run, which according to officials, was successful, according to Maruo Shin, the Chief Representative of JICA Rwanda, adding that they will see how to expand it to more trainees and more frequently.
"Rwanda’s efforts to attract businesses are impressive. The cooperation should continue,”’ he told The New Times.
Irere added that the Ministry of Youth, among other efforts, is trying to foster cooperation to assist AI development.
"We set rules, regulations and policies regarding the sector but we need more action. We are therefore committed to making more of these kind of cooperation happening.”
The business model with the private sector for offshoring by AI engineers trained on-line was conducted under the JICA’s Private Sector Partnership Program. The program is aimed at improving the business environment in developing countries and supporting infrastructure development and improvement of public services.
JICA has been working with Rwanda for 14 years. It cooperation focus on providing assistance in economic infrastructure, promotion of value-added agriculture, water and sanitation, and human resource development.