Mobile solutions laboratory and start-up accelerator mLab, together with its innovation ecosystem partners, yesterday launched a bid to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of participants in an online artificial intelligence (AI) lesson.
mLab, which plays a key role in the digital innovation ecosystem, says though the bid failed, the attempt was meant to demystify AI and unpack its application in everyday lives.
The accelerator and its partners tried to lure 14 000 participants, to beat the current record (12 701) of the most users to take an online artificial intelligence lesson in 24 hours achieved by Intel India and the government of India in October 2020.
While the accelerator concedes it did not reach its target, it would not divulge the number of participants it garnered, saying it needed to “collate the analytics and send to Guinness first”.
mLab’s bid to beat the world record follows growing calls to use AI for economic development, with the United Nations (UN) leading the agenda.
The UN and its technology agency the International Telecommunication Union recently launched the AI for Good programme, which seeks to step up the use and development of AI capabilities to develop communities globally.
mLabs says while it was unable to break the record, it achieved a number of wins in promoting the use of AI for development locally.
“We've learned many lessons with respect to implementing a project of this scale, and have stronger cohesion among our partners in the ecosystem, including schools, universities, government departments and the private sector,” Nicki Koorbanally, mLab CEO, tells ITWeb.
“It is essential for South Africa to adopt a holistic approach to advancing the development, use and understanding of AI to ensure we maximise the potential of AI to grow our economy and improve the lives of our citizens.
“Industry, research and development organisations, academic institutions, basic education, non-governmental organisations and government should work on an aligned AI strategy to ensure SA does not lose the opportunities the fourth industrial revolution can bring to transform our society for the better.
“This is not the end of the road in terms of the record attempt. Now that we understand what it takes to run a project of this magnitude, we shall be rallying our partners again in the future, for the next record attempt.”
mLabs partnered on this initiative with the Department of Science and Innovation, the National Youth Development Agency, SAIEE, IEEE South Africa, IEEE Africa Council, University of Johannesburg and the South African National Blockchain Alliance.
Explaining the rationale behind the world record bid, Koorbanally says, as part of mLab’s 10-year anniversary celebrations, the organisation wanted to embark on an initiative from which its key beneficiary, the youth, could benefit.
She explains: “Guinness World Records has regaled us with the amazing, the breath-taking and the absurd for more than 66 years. Today, the records are considered the primary international authority on the cataloguing and verification of a huge number of world records. MLab decided to champion the breaking of a world record to build cohesion and unity among innovation ecosystem partners.
“The fourth industrial revolution is upon us and AI is a major technology within this that is transforming how we live, work and play. For many citizens across Africa, AI is still appears to be foreign concept and one that drums up fear. MLabs wanted to use the Guinness Record attempt to help demystify AI and demonstrate how it can be used to help improve human existence.”
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