Zambian tech leaders told a room of executives that adopting AI is a national necessity, comparing it to basic infrastructure like power. The briefing by the Ministry of Technology and Science, run with a firm called Pranary, pushed for enterprise-level AI deployment next year. Minister Felix Mutati said success depends more on leadership and infrastructure than technical skill, listing reliable energy and continuous training as key needs.
A speaker from ATG, Lelemba Phiri, pointed out that most digital shifts fail due to people problems, not tech limits. She called AI the biggest workplace change since the internet, warning that leaders must visibly use the tools themselves and foster a culture of constant learning. Pranary's CEO, Sandras Phiri, told the group to treat AI as a core business overhaul, not an IT side project. He said Zambia could skip slow traditional steps by using new AI systems, leveraging untapped data in sectors like mining and finance.
The overall takeaway was that AI is now mandatory for staying competitive. The session pushed for immediate action on governance, skills investment, and making AI central to business strategy to drive economic growth.
A speaker from ATG, Lelemba Phiri, pointed out that most digital shifts fail due to people problems, not tech limits. She called AI the biggest workplace change since the internet, warning that leaders must visibly use the tools themselves and foster a culture of constant learning. Pranary's CEO, Sandras Phiri, told the group to treat AI as a core business overhaul, not an IT side project. He said Zambia could skip slow traditional steps by using new AI systems, leveraging untapped data in sectors like mining and finance.
The overall takeaway was that AI is now mandatory for staying competitive. The session pushed for immediate action on governance, skills investment, and making AI central to business strategy to drive economic growth.
