Rachel Chikoore, Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) Dean, School of Information Science and Technology
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
Whilst Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionised how we do things, bringing tremendous innovations in several spheres of life, users have been called to maintain ethical standards.
The call was made by the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) Dean, School of Information Science and Technology, Rachel Chikoore at the Cimas Health Group and HIT Healthathon which was held in Harare on Friday.
The second edition of the healthathon was held under the theme, “transforming healthcare: pioneering tomorrow’s health solutions.”
Chikoore also took the time to explain the difference between a hackathon and a healthathon, noting that with the former, you are solving problems in general, while with the latter, you are addressing issues specific to the health sector.
The healthathon featured university students comprising nine teams, battling it out to provide the best health innovations.
“But with great power comes great responsibility. As we harness AI’s potential, we must also grapple with its ethical implications.
“How do we ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability?
“How can we prevent bias from seeping into algorithms that impact millions?
“These questions aren’t mere academic exercises; they shape the very fabric of our digital future.
“Imagine a world where AI systems assist doctors in diagnosing diseases, optimize supply chains, and even predict natural disasters.
“But what happens when these systems fail or make mistakes? “Responsible use demands that we tread carefully, considering both benefits and risks,” said Chikoore.
She added that while AI is bringing solutions to life, there is need to see that such advancements are not bringing problems.
“But the challenge that I have already observed that we need to actually take care of as a nation is the issue of ethics because if a solution is actually artificially intelligent-centered, it means also you need to look at ethics so that you don’t bring a problem.
“A solution that will actually bring challenges in terms of transparency, in terms of privacy, so we are also guiding.
“So when a presenter presents, we guide them accordingly so that we see if they actually are adhering to transparency issues and also privacy issues.”
Chikoore also revealed that that students had been given problems to look at and they could use artificial intelligence systems in order to solve a problem.
“They (students) could use an artificial intelligence system in order to solve a problem or maybe make life easier for the organizations that actually handle claims like Cimas and also maybe to make life easier for patients in general.
“So far, the products that we have seen so far, we’re so excited about them. It’s actually our students that are doing it and also other students from other universities.
“It shows a high level of innovativeness in our students because you see that the pitching of the problems themselves, some actually doing knowledge transfer where they’re actually adopting problems or solutions that are in other countries and they want to bring them home,” added Chikoore.
She also revealed that the teams were focusing on developing systems that leverage emerging technologies to create innovative solutions that significantly reduce healthcare costs while ensuring high-quality patient outcomes and care standards.
“They were also focusing on creating systems that help individuals manage their medications effectively, ensuring adherence and timely refills.
“The other objective was to explore the use of Al in Claims Adjudication, Fraud Detection and Disease Prevention and Management.
“Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, IoT, Block chain and cloud computing, are transforming every aspect of our lives, from the way we work and communicate to the way we interact with the world around us.
“These technologies have the potential to accelerate national development in several ways, from improving healthcare and education, to boosting productivity and innovation.
“AI is no longer a distant concept; it’s our co-pilot on this journey of progress.”
Chikoore also paid tribute to Cimas for the sponsorship and giving the participants an opportunity to showcase their skills.
