Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu, President of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), has underscored the importance of the upcoming National Information Technology Merit Awards (NITMA) in fostering technological innovation and enhancing Nigeria's digital economy. Scheduled for November 21, 2024, at the MUSON Centre in Lagos, the awards aim to recognize outstanding contributions in the tech industry. Nominees were carefully selected based on industry standards, focusing on technological solutions that address Nigeria's pressing challenges. Categories for the awards include IT Personality of the Year, Digital Governor of the Year, and the Youth Innovation Award, reflecting a broad recognition of individuals and organizations dedicated to digital development [dacf5145].
In a related context, a disagreement has emerged between the former Communications & Digital Economy Minister, Isa Pantami, and his successor, Bosun Tijani, regarding the ownership and relaunch of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (NCAIR) in Nigeria. Tijani recently announced the relaunch of NCAIR, emphasizing the benefits of adopting AI technologies. However, Pantami disputes this claim, stating that the center had already been built and commissioned in November 2020. The ministers' differing views on the potential of AI to drive economic prosperity and innovation in Nigeria have come to the forefront. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) workshop was conducted to collaboratively develop a comprehensive national AI strategy, resulting in a draft national AI strategy document. The motives and dedication of the ministers to serving Nigeria have been called into question [f085e5cf].
Additionally, Iran has launched its National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Organization, which is expected to significantly impact the country's development by the end of the year. Rouhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi, the Iranian vice president for science, technology, and knowledge-based economy, expressed optimism about the organization's objectives. The organization's statutes and over 18,000 supporting documents have been approved by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. A budget of 3.5 trillion Tomans (over 83 million dollars) has been allocated to the organization, with one trillion Tomans (23 million dollars) coming from the vice presidential office's projects and the remaining amount funded by the National Development Fund. The organization is tasked with creating data line farms, designing and implementing large-scale software patterns, and gathering ready-to-use data in the field of artificial intelligence for government agencies. The development of the artificial intelligence economy and its applications are carried out by people [3544f897].
In the tech start-up scene, a Northern Ireland man has created a start-up called Symphony, which has developed an 'artificial intelligence employee' named Alice. Alice is an AI-powered virtual employee designed to revolutionize the workplace. Symphony has received millions of pounds in funding and aims to assist with various tasks such as customer service, data analysis, and administrative work. The start-up's hub in Belfast is expected to create 17 highly paid jobs. The importance of tourism to jobs in Northern Ireland is emphasized, and the challenges of defining a good job are discussed [36eaba5e].
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking an organization to establish an AI-focused Manufacturing USA institute. The institute is expected to receive up to $70 million in funding over five years. The goal of the institute is to leverage AI to enhance manufacturing processes and boost the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing sector [e7b2a2b4].