Transform Africa Summit to take place in Kigali from 14th May

The fifth Transform Africa Summit a Smart Africa flagship event is set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from 14 – 17 May 2019.

Under the theme “Boosting Africa’s Digital Economy”, the Summit is expected to attract over 4,000 participants, including Heads of State and Government, First Ladies, UN Broadband Commissioners, Ministers, Regulators, Mayors & Governors, Public & Private Sector, International Organizations, Industry Leaders, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Young Innovators, Civil Society and Academia.

In addition to the Smart Africa Leaders Summit, the Smart Africa Women’s Summit and interactive plenaries, the summit will feature subject specific streams tackling current ICT topics. Delegates will be able to attend insightful & engaging streams including Hubs as well as several customized sessions by our partners.

Some of the key topics that will be discussed during the forum will include: Startup Africa, leveling the digital gender gap, smartphone penetration and data connectivity and the creative industries.

Apart from giving you a chance to engage with Heads of State, Ministers, experts and thought lead TAS 2019 for the first time will also give members a chance to interact with, Sophia, the world’s first humanoid robot will be attending the summit.

Sophia was activated on February 14, 2016.  The robot, modeled after actress Audrey Hepburn, is known for human-like appearance and behavior compared to previous robotic variants. According to the manufacturer, David Hanson, Sophia uses artificial intelligence, visual data processing and facial recognition. Sophia also imitates human gestures and facial expressions and can answer certain questions and to make simple conversations on predefined topics.

Sophia uses voice recognition (speech-to-text) technology from Alphabet Inc. (parent company of Google) and is designed to get smarter over time. Sophia’s intelligence software is designed by Hanson Robotics. The AI program analyses conversations and extracts data that allows it to improve responses in the future.

Hanson designed Sophia to be a suitable companion for the elderly at nursing homes, or to help crowds at large events or parks. He has said that he hopes that the robot can ultimately interact with other humans sufficiently to gain social skills.

In 2017, Sophia was granted Saudi citizenship by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia- this was the first robot to be given legal personhood anywhere in the world. She was activated in 2016.

She has an unsettling human-like appearance, compounded with the complex ability to express emotions. She can make more than 50 facial expressions.

To attend the event one will be required to register www.transformafricasummit.org.