AI, media policy the way to go
The announcement by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere that President Mnangagwa is set to launch Artificial Intelligence and media policies soon is most welcome.
Muswere said the two policies will usher information sovereignty and enable the country to become a global powerhouse in terms of information and communication.
He said the policies have been finalised and only awaiting official launch.
We would like to weigh in and urge the government to emphasise on the usage of data for ‘real’ purpose rather than using data on things that do not add value to the lives of Zimbabweans.
We want innovations that transform the way we do business, the way we interact, the way we think and the way we do our farming.
While skits are good entertainment and stress relievers, we feel in Zimbabwe jokes are just too many on social media.
In other countries young people spend most of their time in laboratories researching, doing amazing things, but not in Zimbabwe, we are always busy checking who has posted what.
Some employees spend the whole day following certain artists, they even know their daily routines at the expense of productivity at the work place.
They spend the whole day discussing other people’s lives instead of making money, forgetting that by playing those skits google is making more money.
The government should urge the citizens to invest their time and data in tings that will help them in future rather spending hours on skits and movies.
It is against this background that we urge the government to encourage innovation that is productive and help the nation to move forward in terms of technology or to be the leader in the sector as expounded by Muswere.
Innovation without direction is useless, until when should we continue to rely on other countries for operating systems, social media platforms and technology.
If this initiative is taken seriously it has the potential to transform our lives.