Microsoft has stated that at the turn of the century, the one billion young people in Africa will be crucial to the global workforce and the nature of employment.
Microsoft – Africa Transformation Office – 30 years in Africa (Image Credit; https://www.microsoft.com/africa/ato/Timeline)
This was said in a webinar by Ravi Baht, Chief Technology and Solutions Officer for Microsoft Africa. He shared insights from the “AI and the Future of Work in Africa whitepaper,” which was produced in cooperation with regional industry experts.
He stated that Africa is in a unique position to shape the nature of employment in the future, particularly as application environments and large language models (LLMs) develop.
Africa’s youth and the employment landscape
According to Bhat, there are one billion under-35-year-olds living in Africa, and the continent is shortly to account for roughly half of the world’s youth population.
Regretfully, as many as 12 million young Africans join the workforce each year, yet over 20 percent do not pursue jobs, further education, or training, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
His words
According to Ravi Bhat, generative AI will drastically change workplaces and open up new avenues for young people to develop and spur economic growth.
He stated,
“We see generative AI as being crucial in changing workplaces and giving young people chances to innovate, propel economic growth, and create jobs.”
Additionally, he discussed how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has the ability to redefine employment, skill requirements, and outputs. Citing a McKinsey study, he said that, depending on task reallocation and technology adoption, GenAI might increase annual labor productivity growth by as much as 0.6% through 2040.
Bhat did, however, issue a warning: technology by itself won’t be enough to address the problems that Africa’s youthful population faces.
He emphasized the need for laws that guarantee the ethical application of GenAI and respectable jobs.
Jacki O’Neill, the Director of Microsoft Research Africa, also underlined the revolutionary potential of GenAI in enhancing human talents in a variety of fields.
“Barriers to accessing GenAI tools are diminishing, presenting increased opportunities for skills development as access grows throughout Africa through internet-enabled devices and more affordable data,” according to O’Neill.
O’Neill emphasized the significance of providing African youngsters with the necessary skills to succeed in an AI-driven labor market, such as the deployment of GenAI tools, the creation of creative applications, and proficiency in domains like cybersecurity and machine learning.
“By investing in these skills, Africans are better equipped to create human-centered and community-valued AI systems, integrate AI with indigenous knowledge in a sensitive manner, and create dignified jobs.”
In order to guarantee positive results with GenAI, the whitepaper emphasizes the importance of proactive governance, inclusive design, and adherence to ethical and legal standards.
O’Neill said, “Policymakers, technologists, and individuals alike must share this joint duty.”
He emphasized that Microsoft is dedicated to collaborating with people, governments, and stakeholders around the continent, demonstrating that the AI revolution in Africa is not just a potential but is currently underway.
