Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is the new hype in the technological world and it’s not going anywhere. It leverages machine learning to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.
As RLabs main aim is to create environments and systems where people are impacted, empowered and transformed through HOPE, Innovation, Technology, Training and Economic Opportunities, it was only natural to host an event that not only introduced but also showcased Artificial Intelligence to the community of Mitchells Plain.
A.I Beyond the Hype: a 2-day event that started on Friday, 19 May 2023 with a Builders Co-creation where those in attendance were led by Kalebu Gwalungano to create their unique chatbots.
Kalebu is the Founder of Neurotech Africa. He is a trained Software engineer and self-taught Machine learning engineer who is passionate about democratizing natural language processing tools for African languages, empowering developers to build chatbots and is a notable advocate for A.I in Africa.
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His approach to the Builders Co-creation was methodical and straight to the point. Leading a group of 65 individuals to create their unique chatbots might seem daunting to most. However, with his vast experience and knowledge of AI, Kalebu not only intrigued but kept participants interested and inspired to learn more, especially how to use AI tools and platforms such as Sarufi.
It is an AI platform created by Neurotech Africa that provides accessible natural language processing tools that enable businesses and developers to build chatbots using African languages.
The second platform participants were introduced to is Replit.com, which provides software developers with a large range of tools and features. It allows you to build & host coding projects and provides a social, browser-based coding environment where you can collaborate with other developers, ask for feedback on your project, and share your thoughts with the community.
Even though these platforms are built for developers, the participants were able to easily sign-up, navigate through each step and create their chatbots. The most amazing part is that participants of all ages attended and there was never a sense of nervousness in the room.
Even though this experience was the first time they learned about and/or interacted with AI tools, everyone stayed enthusiastic throughout. Even when it took some a few tries to get their chatbots to function as needed, the atmosphere was…
Here are some of their thoughts and experiences of the day:
“Today was an inspiring day for me. I firmly believe that A.I is the future of technology. I have a strong interest in learning more about AI and thoroughly enjoyed creating my chatbot while being able to witness the inner workings. This experience has fueled my enthusiasm to explore and expand my knowledge in the vast potential of AI.” – Hayley Hendricks
“Today I attended an RLabs AI function and to be honest it was a great experience for me, who was not much into AI and development. As I’m learning and experiencing the wonders of it, I’m starting to realize how exciting and fun it is. Creating chatbots was very fun, especially since we did it from scratch.” – Faried Israel
Chatbots are beneficial in many ways, especially for entrepreneurs, as it enables them to improve their customer service experience. Chatbots are configured to answer queries by providing valuable information to the customer as if they’re speaking to a human in real-time. No matter the time of the day, you can now be reachable.
When creating a chatbot on Sarufi, customers can ask questions in any official African language, not only bettering the experience but the customer’s convenience as well.
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AI, so stay tuned as we delve into Day 2 of AI Beyond The Hype in our next blog post.
