Photo: Contributed
By: Peneyambeko Jonas
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how businesses design marketing materials and how educational institutions manage students, with local developers and technology professionals highlighting its potential to save time and improve efficiency.
Speaking to Eagle Media House during the National ICT Summit in Ongwediva, Christophine Hango, an AI consultant at P3 Namibia (Pty) Ltd, said AI tools were becoming useful to graphic designers despite concerns that the technology could reduce demand for their services.
Hango said many graphic designers she knew appreciated the advancement of AI because it allowed them to complete certain tasks faster.
“AI is a faster tool to use,” she said, explaining that the technology could support designers in producing graphics and other digital content.
The growing use of AI-generated posters has raised questions about competition in the design industry, particularly as people with smartphones can now create their own promotional materials without hiring professional designers.
However, Hango believes AI can also benefit professionals who use advanced applications to improve their work rather than view the technology only as a threat.
The development highlights a changing business environment in which creative professionals may need to adapt their skills as affordable digital tools become more accessible to individuals and small businesses.
Meanwhile, Tuyambekwa Uaandja, a third-year engineering student at the University of Namibia (UNAM), said a facial recognition AI model had been developed to reduce queues during university registration and improve attendance monitoring.
Speaking to Eagle Media House during the engagement with exhibitors during the 9th National ICT Summit on Monday, Uaandja, who represented the company behind the model, said the technology was designed to identify individuals and automatically record their attendance.
He explained that students often spend time queuing to register or sign in and out of classes, while similar challenges affect employees in workplaces.
According to Uaandja, the system could also help address cases where students sign attendance registers on behalf of classmates who are absent.
The technology could reduce the administrative burden associated with manual attendance records, although its effectiveness would depend on proper implementation and reliable systems.
Its use would also require institutions to consider data privacy, the security of biometric information and procedures for addressing recognition errors.
Ngulonda Erven, a student at the International University of Management (IUM) and founder of OneNam, an AI development company, said universities should consider introducing their own AI systems to support teaching and administration.
Erven told Eagle Media House that AI could help institutions manage learning environments and e-learning platforms as students and lecturers increasingly rely on digital tools.
“The world is changing, and it is becoming a fast-learning world where we deal with a lot of activities on a daily basis,” he said.
He added that universities should establish policies to prevent students from using online tools to cheat during tests and examinations.
Erven’s comments point to the need for educational institutions to balance the benefits of AI with measures that protect academic integrity.
For businesses, universities and other organisations, the wider adoption of AI could improve productivity and reduce time spent on routine tasks.
However, institutions will need clear policies, appropriate infrastructure and staff training to ensure the technology is used responsibly.
As discussions around AI continue in Namibia, the challenge will be to adopt tools that improve efficiency while ensuring that workers, students and businesses can adapt to the changing digital economy.
penny@eaglefm.com.na
