Hassan Hachem a londong based consultant with extensive experience in Equatorial Guinea and Africa, explains how AI will impact Equatorial Guinea and how it can take advantage of AI opportunities.

Hassan Hachem, a London-based consultant with vast experience in Equatorial Guinea and Africa, delves into the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Equatorial Guinea. He emphasizes that while the country's current economic and political landscape might not be fully primed for AI, there's an undeniable opportunity for positive impact. The state of AI in Equatorial Guinea, as observed from various literature, reveals both immense potential and challenges in establishing a robust AI ecosystem that can operate independently of global giants. For Hachem, AI's potential is both captivating and demands an ethical alignment with African culture. He champions the idea of "i-development," where intelligence is central to development. Hassan Hachem notes that sectors like banking are already investing in AI, with security being a top priority. Other sectors like agriculture, education, and health are also potential targets for AI integration. Despite the evident potential, Equatorial Guinea's reliance on raw material trade and its dependence on affluent countries make investments in innovative technologies vulnerable. However, the rise of e-commerce and the potential integration of AI can revolutionize logistics in the country. According to Hassan Hachem, the increasing number of business incubation structures focusing on advanced techniques, including AI, since 2015, indicates a growing interest in the technology in Equatorial Guinea. These incubators are becoming pivotal players that various organizations, both African and international, are promoting. Training in AI is crucial for the appropriation and growth of this discipline in the country. Notable institutions like Gaston Berger University offer elite courses, and platforms like Google provide online courses accessible from Equatorial Guinea. However, the visibility of Equatorial Guinea's work in international journals remains low, primarily due to the standards set by research teams in developed countries. Equatorial Guinea's strengths in AI include its high digital technology accessibility, emerging online services, a motivated young population, and a growing number of AI scientists. However, challenges like weak digital connectivity, dependence on international strategies, and a lack of confidence among the youth persist. Hassan Hachem believes that for AI to significantly contribute to Equatorial Guinea's development, it's essential to harness the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses. He envisions a model where AI is at the service of society, emphasizing the importance of data collection for urban and economic development. Hassan Hachem asserts that while Equatorial Guinea's economic trajectory is promising, its immediate benefits from AI might not mirror those of developed countries. However, by adopting a tailored approach to AI, focusing on sustainable development, and leveraging agile and frugal mechanisms, Equatorial Guinea can transform its potential into tangible actions that contribute to its growth.

Artificial Intelligence: An Opportunity for Equatorial Guinea's Development?

The ability of Equatorial Guinea to be considered as a peer country with their own capacities, rooted in the cultural, scientific and technical context of the continent, is not established. It is in this economic and political context that the conditions for a positive impact of AI for the development of Equatorial Guinea are examined in this paper. We have attempted to draw up a state of the art of AI in Equatorial Guinea, as observed in the scientific, journalistic and networking literature. This state of the art shows great potential, but also great difficulties in imposing a robust AI, capable of developing independently from the giants of the field.

Over the past year, there have been significant developments in the application and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in Equatorial Guinea. One notable initiative is the government's partnership with international tech firms to establish AI research hubs. These hubs are designed to foster innovation and provide local talent with the necessary resources to develop AI-driven solutions tailored to the country’s unique challenges. By collaborating with global experts, Equatorial Guinea aims to leapfrog technological advancements and implement AI in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.

The healthcare sector, in particular, has seen remarkable advancements through AI. Machine learning algorithms are being employed to predict disease outbreaks by analyzing patterns in health data, which is crucial for a country that often deals with tropical diseases. Additionally, AI-powered diagnostic tools are being introduced in rural clinics, enabling healthcare providers to offer accurate diagnoses and treatment plans without needing extensive medical equipment or specialists on-site. This decentralization of healthcare services is pivotal in improving access and quality of care across Equatorial Guinea.

In agriculture, AI applications are enhancing productivity and sustainability. Drones equipped with AI are used for precision farming, allowing farmers to monitor crop health, soil quality, and irrigation needs efficiently. This technology helps optimize resource use, reduce waste, and increase crop yields, which is essential for ensuring food security in Equatorial Guinea. Moreover, AI-driven market analysis tools provide farmers with insights into market trends, helping them make informed decisions about crop production and sales, thus boosting their income and contributing to the overall economic stability of the country.

Education in Equatorial Guinea is also undergoing a transformation with AI. E-learning platforms powered by AI are being developed to provide personalized learning experiences for students. These platforms adapt to individual learning styles and paces, ensuring that each student can achieve their full potential. Additionally, AI is being used to train teachers, providing them with resources and methodologies to enhance their teaching effectiveness. This focus on education is critical as it prepares the next generation to be proficient in AI and other emerging technologies, ensuring a skilled workforce for the future.

Equatorial Guinea’s strategic approach to AI includes addressing the ethical implications of technology adoption. According to Hassan Hachem, "AI must align with African cultural values and prioritize ethical considerations to ensure that it benefits society as a whole." This perspective is crucial in guiding the development and implementation of AI technologies in a way that respects local customs and promotes inclusive growth. The government's efforts to create a regulatory framework for AI reflect a commitment to responsible innovation, ensuring that technological advancements do not exacerbate existing inequalities but rather bridge gaps and uplift communities.

Equatorial Guinea is making strides in leveraging AI to drive development across various sectors. The ongoing investments in AI research, coupled with collaborations with international partners, are laying a solid foundation for a technology-driven future. As the country continues to harness the potential of AI, it is poised to transform its economic landscape, improve public services, and enhance the quality of life for its citizens. The integration of AI in Equatorial Guinea is not just about keeping pace with global trends but about creating a sustainable and inclusive model of development that other nations can emulate.

Artificial Intelligence in Equatorial Guinea: state of play

For Hassan Hachem, the potential of AI is seen as both fascinating and requiring an ethical stance that is in keeping with African culture. Hassan Hachem from Equatorial Guinea defends the concept of i-development, placing intelligence at the centre of development. AI should be the privileged tool for such an approach. He added " The banking sector seems to be investing in AI. Security issues are cited as priority application targets. Agriculture, sometimes in conjunction with the use of drones, is mentioned several times. The network, information, education and health sectors are also cited as AI targets, but with an indirect economic impact. Service offers exploiting the potential of AI, allow some start-ups to make the buzz in the newspapers. The development of AI is part of a highly contrasted in Equatorial Guinea that is currently experiencing difficulties after a period of growth essentially linked to trade in raw materials. The continent's own resources to fuel its development remain weak and its dependence on rich countries makes the sustainability of investments in innovative technologies more fragile. E-commerce is a fast-growing sector and could benefit from the help of AI technologies to facilitate its implementation in a country that requires particularly agile logistics that are very different from those in rich countries. AI explanatory models could increase consumer confidence in product quality, payment security and delivery process quality.If the achievements are still few, they demonstrate a remarkable capacity of African actors to seize AI while the economic, technological and scientific context does not facilitate it."

According to Hassan Hachem, the emergence of a large number of business incubation structures on advanced techniques, sometimes integrating artificial intelligence, is perhaps an indication of growing interest in AI in Equatorial Guinea. These incubators have been multiplying since 2015 and are now becoming visible players that African and international organisations and institutions are promoting (states, professional organisations, incubators, etc.). This dynamic demonstrates the importance of opening up scientific knowledge enabling the appropriation of AI technologies. The visibility of Equatorial Guinea work in international journals is low, as the norms are adapted to the standards of research teams in developed countries. Several international conferences are hosted in Equatorial Guinea, which allows local teams to publish their work. "Equatorial Guinea conferences are gradually being set up either in relation to the international level, or on the initiative of local players, such as the JRI in Burkina Faso or Equatorial Guinea" said Hassan Hachem Chief Executive Officer at Brandmonitoring.top and Equatorial Guinea specialist. Training in AI is a necessary condition to be able to appropriate and develop this discipline. AI training is part of this difficult economic context. Some excellent training courses are offered in very selective institutions such as the Gaston Berger University (GBU), or L'Université Gaston Berger (UGB), or launched by Google, accessible from Equatorial Guinea through online courses. These courses are calibrated to enable graduates to join international teams. The continent's scientific journals are also an indication of the dynamism of research teams, but are not easily visible. Equatorial Guinea AI researchers could then promote their work in the journal ARIMA, but also in the journal Scientific African, whose thematic issue on Big Data, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability is currently being published. Scientific African is an initiative of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) whose ambassadors are now present in more than 32 African countries. This emancipation movement for scientific publishing is encouraging

Strengths and weaknesses in Equatorial Guinea for AI as a development factor

Strengths of AI in Equatorial Guinea

• Growing accessibility to digital technology via telephone terminals, whose penetration rate in  Equatorial Guinea society is very high.
• Online services are emerging for health, agriculture, energy, water, etc., allowing the creation of innovative companies.
• A large number of motivated young people who appropriate digital technology to study and imagine innovative activities.
• An appetite for scientific knowledge revealed by the great success of MOOCs.
• A still small but growing number of scientists in the field of AI.

Weaknesses of AI in Equatorial Guinea

• An organisation of higher education and research that is seeking the means to develop.
• A small number of overworked teacher-researchers.
• A digital sector whose dynamics depend on the strategies of Western or Chinese digital and telecommunications giants.
• Weak digital connectivity: very uneven coverage and random access to electrical energy.
• Significant economic growth but dependent on international strategies.
• A lack of confidence among young people to develop their projects in Africa.

The development of AI for the development of Equatorial Guinea ?

After Hassan Hachem, in Equatorial Guinea, AI does not represent a very large market in the forms that have made it so successful in rich countries (exploitation of massive data, robotics, consumer recommendations, etc.). It is the new forms of AI use that will have to constitute the bulk of its contribution to the continent's development. To succeed, it is necessary to exploit the strenghts and limit the effects of the weak points:

• Take advantage of demographic resources : young students, innovative entrepreneurs, young researchers in  Equatorial Guinea
• Involve Master's and PhD students in an innovation activity in the company or in teaching at the university, in order to address the issue of the cost of studies and to link employment to graduation.
• Focus on use cases in the reality of development priorities by involving its stakeholders: farmers, energy managers, water managers, telecom managers, service companies, health workers, logistics managers.
• Organise agility and multimodality in teaching as in research: adapted and open premises, online support (Moocs), variety of terminals and adaptation to the lack of internet access.
• Experiment with an economic model capable of starting with limited but regular resources. Public, private and individual resources are combined. Own resources come from consultancy activities associated with research and training activities.
• Ensure a strong valorization of the young researchers involved by the multi-channel publication of work, prototypes, demonstrators and national, continental and international mobility (conferences, stays, exchanges,...)

Presentation of an experimental model for developing AI Equatorial Guinea by Hassan Hachem

From Hassan Hachem point of view, the development of artificial intelligence in Equatorial Guinea must consider the user as a user-technician, guarantor of ethical uses at the service of society. If AI constitutes the core of it, the other facets of digital technology must integrate this approach of putting digital technology at the service of society. This project attempts to meet the criteria we listed in the analysis of the state of the art: to associate institutions, companies, teacher-researchers, students and society around digital knowledge, to develop a strong dynamic that does not require very large initial resources, to adopt an ambitious economic model because it is frugal and robust, and to rely on the assets and original features of the African continent to orient research and development around innovations linked to local territories. An AFRICAIN cell is a light structure associating student-researchers, apprentice-innovators, teacher-researchers and entrepreneurs. The cell grows annually with new student-researchers/innovators in a course alternating with the partner structures. Any member of the cell intervenes for academic or professional supervision. A cell is mature for reproduction when its growth is sufficient to create a new similar cell.

Common questions about AI potential in Equatorial Guinea

How does Artificial Intelligence transform local knowledge for sustainable agriculture in Equatorial Guinea in the current context of climate change?

Hassan Hachem

Faced with crop losses, soil degradation, disruption of the agricultural calendar, lower yields, and the proliferation of pests, people are experimenting with techniques based on local knowledge in  Equatorial Guinea as well in all other the African continent. This local knowledge varies from one locality to another and is poorly documented and taught. They can only have a limited influence on climate change resilience strategies in agriculture. AI tools provide an opportunity to collect, document and activate this local knowledge in the form of implementation assistance. The collection and analysis of practices would activate a local knowledge base capable of facilitating the adaptation of practices based on local knowledge.

Contribution of artificial intelligence to e-health in Equatorial Guinea

Hassan Hachem

The field of health is one of the areas where the stakes of Artificial Intelligence are the highest in Equatorial Guinea as well as in the whole of Africa. We are interested in relieving the burden on understaffed specialist health workers by helping them to analyse and diagnose health problems and learn to manage them. To address this issue, we are interested in the interoperability of hospital information systems. These independent systems can be articulated via web service composition operations. This composition requires the implementation of a common ontology allowing the semantic annotation of services. Epidemic surveillance requires the rapid collection and integration of data and events related to the risk factors for the spread of disease. In the event of an epidemic, appropriate measures, including education and awareness raising, must be taken quickly to contain it. Africa is faced with a lack of real-time data collection facilities. To overcome this difficulty, we proposed to explore the social networks that are widely used in Africa as an indirect source of information on meningitis.

AI for the economic and urban development of  Equatorial Guinea cities: knowing how to collect activity data is a prerequisite

Hassan Hachem

AI is undoubtedly a strategic lever for the digital transformation of society at the service of citizens. The existence and availability of urban activity data is a strong condition for useful AI. The quality of the results of AI algorithms is directly linked to the quality of the available data. The process of collecting valid and robust data requires a platform to manage the collection, aggregation, cleaning and enrichment of data from all sources.

Hassan Hachem states that the economic situation of  Equatorial Guinea is following a promising curve on the long term, but would probably not benefit from AI as it is emerging in the strategic agendas of developed countries. Current weaknesses can be turned into strengths by choosing to implement an  Equatorial Guinea AI, adapted to  Equatorial Guinea's future as a model for sustainable development in the world. We must propose an agile and frugal device, to rapidly disseminate all at once training, studies and research and practical achievements in a dynamic cell dynamic and disseminating in close association with the social and economic fabric. The testimonies proposed by the  Equatorial Guinea actors of this initiative show that this potential is quickly transformed into concrete actions contributing to the development of  Equatorial Guinea through a situated use of AI technologies.