Sunbird AI, a non-profit organization that develops artificial intelligence systems for social impact in Africa has been launched in Uganda.
The organization has developed a number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems such as noise monitors which analyze and measure noises in the community, and African Language Technology that translates texts from one language to another, specifically from English to five most spoken local languages in Uganda, and vice versa.
The idea of Sunbird was born out of the Makerere University Artificial Intelligence lab, and was created to provide high quality practical AI applications with a focus on utility and policy.
While launching the organization on Friday, The Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Aminah Zawedde said, there is a lot that Artificial Intelligence can do, and pledged to support the innovations.
The African Language Technology initiative, she said will improve media and communication, and will also help government better communicate it’s development programs to Ugandans.
“I am speaking here in English, and after the speech, someone will say, translate for us in Luganda. And when I am talking to Ugandans, I have to talk in all languages that we have in this country because I want the message to come home and to be understood by everybody, because we use those technical jargons that not everybody understands. But when it is translated, the message comes home. So, that is one of the projects I will intentionally support because it is going to help especially in media and communication.”
She noted that one of the challenges of government is poor communication of government programs because MDAs fail to translate to languages that all Ugandans understand.
Africa has so much diversity in language. Uganda in particular has more than 43 languages with English as it’s official language, though not spoken by majority Ugandans especially the illiterate.
The Sunbird Executive Director, Ernest Mwebaze said people who cannot consume content in English, or a certain language are left out due to lack of language translation technology.
“We think this is an an area that needs to be addressed,” he said.
The most spoken languages in Uganda that include; Luganda, Acholi, Runyankole, Ateso etc have been represented in the Sunbird AI translation system.
“This will have a great use. It will help us use our languages, and also communicate with people who are not able to speak or read English. It is representing Uganda and Africa as a whole in language technology where we have previously been under represented,” Mwebaze said.
PROJECT ON ENVIRONMENTAL SENSING/ NOISE MONITORING
Sunbird AI has developed a noise monitor to provide constant monitoring of noise pollution at scale, be able to accurately identify the various noise sources, a clear noise map representing the noise situation of particular areas, and provide reports to the relevant authorities that can guide them to make evidence based policies for the cause of mitigating noise pollution and it’s respective effects.
“I believe, even in your local communities where you stay, there could be a church, or a bar, a nearby street preachers. You have a lot of instances of noise; sirens, street preachers, bodabodas, street vendors. We are trying to solve this by building a noise sensing system for cities,” said Mwebaze.
“This idea of exposure is important to measure, and that is what we are trying to do. We are trying to do this by putting the sensors in different places to capture noise. You need to understand the noise patterns of that area; is there noise over the weekend, is noise at night, or during the day. That is the information that project can give” he added.
The noise monitors have been deployed in Entebbe Municipality.
Noise pollution is a silent pandemic which continues to spread due to population increase, urbanization and development associated with sources of noise such as highways, factories and construction. Continued exposure to noise poses a danger to human health. Noise not only disrupts sleep, but can cause hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Noise monitors, Mwebaze said will help in planning, for instance, locating or searching for a place where to construct a hospital, school or house among others.
PS Zawedde said that noise pollution has adverse effects to human life, and therefore, finding remedies is very vital.
“As we industrialize and urbanize our countries and cities, keeping track of the environment is important. I know a number of people are falling sick because of noise. Noise creates headache, it creates distraction, confusion. We need to find solutions,” she said.
Zawedde pledged government support to Sunbird AI, adding that if government, private sector and development partners worked together to find solutions to challenges that people in everyday life, all the innovations that come out of universities would be far from where they are today.
“I think the mentality has changed. We are looking towards collaboration. We need to work together, to think in order to get the answers we want. Today, I want to emphasize that government is going to work together with Sunbird to come up with the solutions that we need. The Ministry pledges it’s support to Sunbird AI. Let us support our own. Let us grow Uganda together” she said.
Meanwhile, Zawedde said that government has developed a 4IR (Fourth Industrial Revolution) strategy that include among others; data science, cloud computing, artificial intelligence that will nurture the birth and growth of the solutions that the country needs.
The Ministry of ICT, she said is leading the effort in providing the strategies through the 4IR strategy that include; the soon to be launched ICT policy, the Data Protection and Privacy Act, the BPO and innovation policy among others.
“So, as we sit in this room today, we equally compliment each other; the academia, private sector, government and development partners. If we have that bond, we are going to make this country a better place in such a short time,” she said.