On 9th – 10th March 2023, Act4Change RDC; a youth-led organization based in the Democratic Republic of Congo and whose mission is to fight against poverty through the use of ICT, peace, and democracy organised an Open Data Day event. With the mission of assessing the impact of data in improving the AI’s result automation process, 30 participants composed of students from various universities of the city of Goma gathered to celebrate the Open Data Day event. The event occurred in the context of the lack of multi-sectorial data in the country, the increase of fake news and hate speech proliferation on the Congolese web.
The objectives of the event were;
- To build the capacity of participants especially students from various universities from the eastern Congo city of Goma on the AI’s result automation process, the role of data in improving the machine learning process, and the relation between open data and artificial intelligence.
- To assess ChatGPT’S data analysis process in order to provide insights to users.
- To popularise open data and artificial intelligence concepts among Congolese universities through the setting up of mechanisms dedicated to promoting data science in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In the introductory session, the trainers pointed out the importance of filling the problem of lack of data in several sectors of the daily life of Congolese, while dropping a dark assessment of the lack of statistics data reference in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They urged the Congolese future generation of web developers, télécommunication students, and developers from various ICT departments to take into account of artificial intelligence in all their respective activities.
Before approaching the topic focusing on the assessment of the impact of data in improving the AI’s result automation process – case of ChatGPT, participants exposed various unexpected facts that hinder their efforts to get involved in the area of open data and artificial intelligence including;
- Lack of basic knowledge on topics and concepts such like; open data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
- Lack of effective IT laboratories to have practical sessions.
- Lack of ICT incubators in the city.
- Lack of electric power and internet connection which is not as affordable to help them conduct research and practice.
At the end of the event, participants were aware of the intervention of open data in making easy requests from artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT including;
- How ChatGPT AI’s machine learning and deep learning use data in generating content including; articles, reviews, and social media posts.
- How to produce data used by artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT interactive search engines.
Act4Change received a small grant to host Open Data Day(s) (ODD) events and activities.
