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The Safaricom Engineering Summit commenced with a strong focus on empowering Kenya’s burgeoning tech talent and showcasing the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI).
Dubbed Decode 2.0, the summit is a collaborative effort between Safaricom and key partners, including Huawei, Dell Technologies, Mitsumi Distribution, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Techsavanna, Oracle, and Redington.
One of the summit’s highlights was the Safaricom – AWS Deep Racer Championship 2023. This mini-vehicle racing event, conducted on an indoor track, provided a platform for Safaricom’s data science and data engineering teams to demonstrate their machine-learning capabilities.
During the summit, Safaricom also unveiled an impressive AI product called the Digital Twin. This AI model processes prompts and, based on the input data, creates a digital twin of an individual capable of generating responses.
Throughout the event, stakeholders in the technology sector engaged in discussions on various key trends, including AI, cross-border financial payments, quantum computing, internet connectivity, eSports, gaming, and education.
Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom’s CEO, emphasized the summit’s significance in nurturing digital talent as the company aims to transform into a purpose-driven digital business within the next two years. He said, “Decode is in line with our vision to become a purpose-driven technology company by 2025, embedding an engineering mindset to build a digital Kenya through connectivity, accessibility, and affordability.”
Safaricom has reported an increase in its digital talent pool from 250 to 850 within the last three years. However, the company acknowledges the skills gap between ICT graduates and the requirements of the job market, making programs and events like Safaricom Decode vital.
Felix Koskei, Chief of Staff and Head of Civil Service for President William Ruto, who attended the event as the chief guest, emphasized the role of innovation and cutting-edge technology in creating jobs and addressing societal challenges.
Discussions on the first day of the summit also revolved around the readiness of the local workforce for revolutionary technologies like AI and the strategies needed to equip talent with the skills required for an AI-driven job market.
Molten Bangsgaard, Safaricom’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, noted, “We are on the cusp of an exciting journey where AI will open up a world of opportunities and possibilities that will reshape our future.”
Kadri Humal, the Honorary Consul of Estonia to Kenya, highlighted the potential for Kenya to accelerate its journey toward becoming a technology-driven society through rapid technological innovations and advancements, such as AI.
He said, “Estonia’s digital success story spans several decades. In many ways, this success story has had different phases. Kenya doesn’t need to take several decades to achieve the same success.”
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