By: Dwight Links
An assessment on the country’s readiness to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revealed a mixed bag of realities facing the country’s abilities and efforts in adopting the new technology.
Namibia released its own artificial readiness assessment report this week, that looks into how ready is the country is to adopt the use of the new technology.
The mixed bag is portrayed in terms of certain positives that have been achieved versus the magnitude of the negatives that have been identified by the National Commission on Research, Science & Technology’s researchers who compiled the report.
The Namibia AI Readiness Report assesses the country’s preparedness for integrating and advancing AI across various sectors in a responsible and ethical manner.
Recognised for its transformative potential, the report outlines that AI is seen as a key enabler of well-being, economic growth, and solutions to global challenges.
The report emphasises the importance of establishing regulations that balance innovation with responsible deployment.
It draws on global frameworks, including the African Union’s Continental AI Strategy, the European Union’s AI Act, and the US AI Bill of Rights, while also highlighting UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI to ensure that AI development respects human rights, fairness, and sustainability.
POSITIVE VS NEGATIVE FINDINGS
The positives of the report indicate that Namibia has done some assessment work in terms of industry uses of AI across the economy, which are represented in the findings as sensitisation activities with stakeholders.
“Key findings highlight Namibia’s progress in several areas. Notably, the country is actively working to implement the UNESCO framework on ethics of AI through initiatives such as forums and conferences, and the establishment of a national responsible AI institute is recommended,” it reads.
Additionally, the report notes that specific sectoral applications will be a positive for the adoption of AI in terms of developing tools that can help Namibia in troubled sectors for desired socio-economic outcomes.
“Priority sectors for AI intervention include food security, water, energy, health, education, climate change, mining, security, and logistics. Broadcasting and tourism are additional sectors that can benefit from AI interventions,” it adds.
The report takes stock of the continued development of the Data Protection Bill, citing that this as a positive which has been in the making for over five years.
There are also efforts towards data openness with initiatives like the National Statistics Agency (NSA) open data portal, and e-government initiatives such as e-health, e-government procurement and the Namibia Cybersecurity Incident Response Team (NAM-CSIRT), the report adds.
That said, the challenges are rather heavy in terms of basic and fundamental aspects that will allow for widespread adoption in the country.
“However, challenges persist, such as the lack of a formal AI regulatory framework, limited AI expertise, infrastructure gaps, and insufficient public awareness,” the report indicates.
Adding that further efforts are needed in policy development, capacity building, and infrastructure improvement to fully harness AI’s potential for national development.
The findings are intended to guide the formulation of Namibia’s national AI strategy and related initiatives.
MOTIVATION
The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, noted that the country is fully behind the utilisation of frontier technologies to uplift Namibians and their way of life.
Steenkamp noted that the Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report “…reflects our national commitment to harnessing the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence in a manner that is ethical, inclusive and responsive to our developmental aspirations. This report marks a critical step towards ensuring that AI becomes a tool for progress, resilience and equity for all Namibians.”
Outlining the need for the adoption of AI, Steenkamp indicated that the government takes note of the latent potential that can be harnessed through AI.
She said the government recognises that AI is not merely a technological shift, but a societal evolution. Thus, the country has taken deliberate steps to lay the foundations for a digital future, ranging from advancing legislation such as the Access to Information Act, the drafted Data Protection Bill, and the forthcoming Cybercrimes Bill.
Steenkamp added that the noted bills would to strengthen institutional capabilities through her ministry and promote ethical principles through engagement with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.
Singling out the national developmental policy framework, the minister indicated that the government is deliberate in achieving developmental targets through technological and scientific means.
“Through Vision 2030 and the sixth National Development Plan, we have embedded science, technology and innovation as cornerstones of our growth agenda,” noted Steenkamp.
Adding that the report builds on the country’s frameworks, offering a diagnostic lens through which Namibia can identify gaps and prioritise tangible action across education, infrastructure, research and governance.
It also signals Namibia’s intention to align with regional instruments such as the African Union’s Continental AI Strategy and the Windhoek Statement on AI in Southern Africa, which we proudly hosted in 2022, the minister remarked.
