Artificial Intelligence and education in Uganda

Curriculums preparing for the brave new normal need to shift away from rote learning and prioritise creativity

COMMENT | CHRISTOPHER BURKE | Education around the world has undergone profound change over the past few years, driven by exponential developments in technology and communications. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated these changes, notably in Uganda where all educational institutions were closed for almost two years while several private and international schools adopted distance and online learning.

Still reeling from the pandemic, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as Chat GPT, Google Bard and Microsoft Bing added another layer of transformation to education in late 2022. These AI technologies have the potential to render certain teaching and assessment methodologies obsolete, revolutionising the way students learn and interact.

However, the repercussions of AI and other technological developments remain theoretical in many developing countries. Limited internet access and social media penetration hinder the widespread integration of these technologies. Almost 30 percent of Ugandans currently have access to the internet up from only 17 percent a decade ago according to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). While only 4.3 percent of the population use social media today, the situation is changing rapidly.

The late Alice Amsden at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) detailed how developing economies harness new technologies to quickly “catch-up” with more developed countries in particular sectors of production. It took over 120 years for telephone penetration to reach 78 percent in the United States, whereas Uganda achieved a similar level of penetration within just 24 years by leveraging mobile phones.

The rise of AI also raises concerns about job displacement. Goldman Sachs estimates that 300 million jobs could be lost or diminished due to AI in Europe and North America in the coming years. Presumably new jobs will emerge, but labour is undergoing dramatic transformation around the world. Core aspects of production traditionally centered in Europe and North America have already been rendered obsolete and shifted to Asia previously described as the peripheries in recent decades.

The impact of AI on developing countries such as Uganda, that have an abundance of labour associated with rapid population growth, remains uncertain; especially where labour is generally poorly skilled and relatively less educated. What is clear is that recent developments will render many aspects of the curricula obsolete and/or dysfunctional. Most of the curricula being implemented around the world today were developed in the West over a century ago and are in urgent need to be overhauled to reflect current realities.

Thanks to social media, youth today are far better informed than ever before. They spend thousands of hours glued to YouTube and TikTok or playing online games such as Fortnight, Rocket League and most recently Chess.com. These games transcend culture and language. They are highly social and facilitate communication and the exchange of ideas and information amongst individuals across the world.

Educational institutions have responded to these changes in various ways. Leonid Petrov, a politics and business expert at the International College of Management in Sydney and the Australian National University suggests Chat GPT has made Western forms of university education and assessment irrelevant. While the reflexive response of many institutions has been to ban AI applications, others recognise this technology is here to stay and have embraced the strengths and opportunities on offer. AI has the potential to exponentially increase the quality of knowledge, education and information exchange.

Sophia Hendrickson, head of student support services at 7Hills International School in Kampala, suggests there is a need to focus on equipping students with critical thinking and the development of skills to better evaluate and organise the information provided by AI systems. This could also include a better understanding of the limitations, biases and potential ethical concerns associated with AI generated content. Educators need to revise assessment methodologies to take into account the application of AI across all subjects for all ages and levels.

Curriculums need to shift away from rote learning and prioritise the development of creativity, problem-solving abilities, collaborative skills and areas where AI currently lacks human capabilities. The growth of fake news and disinformation further emphasises the importance of guidance on the responsible AI use, privacy and digital citizenship.

The development and application of AI and other technologies are expected to increase dramatically, posing challenges that are difficult to comprehend and prepare for. Embracing these changes and leveraging them to enhance education is crucial. There is an urgent need to reassess approaches to education and radically revise curricula to reflect current realities and prioritize basic literacy and numeracy alongside technology skills to ensure equitable access and maximize the potential of available resources.

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Christopher Burke is the managing director of WMC Africa, a communications and advisory agency in Kampala, Uganda. He has almost 30 years’ experience working on a broad range of issues in development, communications, governance and peace-building in Asia and Africa.