Two KAB University students attending the 2023 Deep Learning Indaba in Ghana.

Two students from KAB are attending the Annual Deep Learning Indaba at the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana. The Deep Learning Indaba is the annual meeting of the African Machine Learning and AI community with the mission to strengthen African AI. This year’s meeting, that begun on 3rd and will end on 9th September, has been conducted under the theme ‘Yɛbɛtumi’, which means ‘we can’ in the Akan (Twi).

According to Ms. Nakabuuka, both she and Ms. Namutebi are deeply enthusiastic about AI and its ability to tackle significant challenges in Africa. Ms. Nakabuuka was able to deliver a presentation titled ‘Network Traffic Anomaly Detection Model.’

Ms. Nakabuuka also emphasized the importance of African involvement in AI development. “Africans should not merely be observers and receivers of AI. We have the capability to leverage AI to create impactful projects. Our strength lies in our communities, and even at the undergraduate level, we can come up with world problem-solving projects through AI”, she noted.

She further encouraged fellow students to embrace opportunities and learning spaces that come their way, emphasizing the value of exposure. “Exposure is a powerful tool for us students. This is the only way we can become better and better,” she added with enthusiasm, she added.

The Dean, Faculty of Computing Library and Information Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Phelix Businge applauded Nakabuuka and Namutebi for representing both the faculty and the university at this prestigious event. “I believe that their attendance is a milestone achieved in the IndabaX Club and will be an inspiration for others to actively participate in transformative community activities. This will leverage international clubs on campus for professional development and exposure” he added.

The Deep Learning Indaba is a grassroots movement which exists with the mission to strengthen African Machine Learning. The event has featured notable speakers from the fields of ML/AI and Ethics, opportunities to learn skills in practical (programming) sessions, mentorship opportunities, a two-day African Research Symposium, deep dive workshops on topics including NLP, AI in Healthcare, Reinforcement Learning, Machine Learning at the Edge, and AI Governance and Policy.

The word “indaba” is a Zulu word that means “gathering” or “meeting” and is a way for people to come together to engage in a week-long event of learning, research, exchange, ideation, and debate around the state of the art in machine learning and artificial intelligence. The Deep Learning Indaba is inspired by this spirit of community and collaboration and presents a unique opportunity to do just that.