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Investments in ICT key for economic growth — experts

Digitalisation and intelligence expected to account for 70 per cent of the global economic growth

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by ROZANNE NTHAMBI

Kenya18 October 2024 - 08:37
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In Summary


  •  Artificial Intelligence (AI) 5G-A, and cloud computing which are reshaping how business is conducted.
  • More than 170 countries have now developed national strategies focused on AI-driven digital transformation.


Countries that are moving fast to adopt AI-driven digital transformation are expected to record faster economic growth, tech industry players now say as the Gitex 2024 enters home stretch.

This is on the back of breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) 5G-A, and cloud computing which are reshaping how business is conducted, service delivery by both governments and the private sector, accelerating global growth.

According to the World Economic Forum, digitalisation and intelligence are expected to account for 70 per cent of the total global economic growth over the next five years.

Speaking during a forum at the Gitex 2024 in Dubai, the world’s leading tech and innovation expo, Huawei vice president of ICT marketing and solution sales, David Shi, said economies, more so in developing countries, must ensure they invest in next generation ICT infrastructure to strengthen their capacity to remain on a growth trajectory.

“From smart cities optimising energy use to AI-powered medical diagnostics, the impact is already changing the way societies function. We must all unite to build a foundation of digital intelligence and transformation,” Shi said.

AI is also shaping how SMEs are doing business, with those investing in technology leapfrogging their returns, Huawei president, global partner commercial and distribution for enterprise sales, Ernest Zhang, said.

More than 170 countries have now developed national strategies focused on AI-driven digital transformation.

“The link between technological advancement and economic growth is a well-trodden path. From the steam engine to the assembly line, each industrial revolution has redefined our economic landscape. This current digital revolution, however, is having an outsized impact due to the rapid pace of innovation and its profound impact on the way companies are transforming operations,” the firm said.

The new Global Digitisation Index (GDI) jointly created with IDC measures the progress of digital transformation across countries, highlighting the clear connection between a nation’s ICT maturity and its economic prosperity.


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