Senegal leaders urge proactive engagement with artificial intelligence

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has called on the nation's youth to become active participants in digital transformation rather than mere consumers of foreign artificial intelligence. Speaking at the installation of the Senegal Youth Advisory Council, Faye warned that AI technologies are not neutral, as they are developed elsewhere with different languages and values. He noted that while AI will change the job market and create new roles, young people must lead the way in inventing these new opportunities.

In a related discussion at the Goethe-Institut Sénégal, author and journalist Pape Samba Kane advocated for a balanced approach to AI, suggesting a middle ground between excessive enthusiasm and total distrust. Kane, who engaged directly with the Gemini AI model for his recent work, emphasized that while AI can significantly accelerate intellectual and creative production, it cannot replace essential human qualities such as empathy, sensitivity, and creativity. He urged professionals, particularly journalists, to maintain transparency when using AI tools.