The Most Effective Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition in Nigeria
The Most Effective Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition in Nigeria
The technology world is on the verge of a new revolution. With advancements in artificial intelligence and facial recognition, it has become easier than ever to automate everyday tasks that we used to do manually. Nigeria can benefit greatly from this technology by implementing these technologies into their security and law enforcement sectors. This will help increase efficiency and accuracy while lowering costs at the same time. While Nigeria may not be leading in this field, they could be well on their way with these simple steps towards modernization.
See how Jump Africa can provide you with Artificial Intellignece and Facial Recognition Services in Nigeria
Section 1: What is Artificial Intelligence?
According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), artificial intelligence is defined as the “the application of computers to complete tasks normally requiring human intelligence.” The process is simple – a computer program will analyze a data set and use the information contained therein to perform a particular task in a manner that would not be possible using a human.
A few examples of the technology include machine learning, natural language processing and computer vision. While these are among the more well known examples, there are many others. This leads to a good question – what can Artificial Intelligence do for you?
One of the most valuable applications for artificial intelligence is security.
How can AI be used in Nigeria?
Data!
Data is the reason why the world is moving towards a time where AI is more common and accepted. While data can be gathered from physical systems such as CCTV cameras, biometrics, etc., the real benefit is gathered from the data that is processed and stored.
Through AI, the data is fed into neural networks and analyzed. The neural networks then learn and use pattern recognition to find the behaviors that match the specific conditions. This helps companies such as Alibaba who have been able to quickly detect fake counterfeit products.
Neural networks can also be used to analyze a person’s behavior in relation to other people, things, places and events. These neural networks can be utilized to predict the likelihood of a person being at a particular location based on past patterns.
How can facial recognition be used in Nigeria?
At the moment, you’ll still need to wait in a police station, a bank or an airport for your face to be scanned and matched against a database in order to access your information. However, these devices are being tested in different countries in the United States, China, South Korea and Russia, among others, so it’s not inconceivable that they’ll be implemented in the near future. Companies and government institutions have already started experimenting with this technology. For example, JD.com, a Chinese e-commerce company, launched the world’s first face-recognition identification system in October 2018. By scanning people’s faces, it can identify each person who is looking at the screen and sales them items without the need to scan and pay with a wallet or purse.
What is Facial Recognition?
Facial recognition is the method in which the ability of computers to identify people based on their facial features. Most of the advances in AI have been seen in this field but as the technology develops, facial recognition is becoming increasingly useful in the fields of security and law enforcement. Facial recognition is the world's first technology to combine two of the most powerful and secure technologies: data and artificial intelligence.
The technology is already having a positive impact in society. According to a 2017 white paper published by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), 87% of the 30,000 law enforcement agencies in the world used some form of facial recognition to identify and track wanted suspects, missing persons and fraud suspects.
How can it be used in Nigeria?
Most law enforcement agencies in Nigeria have in their possession technologies that make it possible for them to track criminals and missing persons more effectively. Some of these technologies can even be used to monitor criminals and a suspected terrorist through their current location, hours of the day, or even through their Social Media accounts, if they’ve taken them down. It can be used to check on, or take action on individuals who are detained. The only way to use these technologies in a cost effective manner for national security is by partnering with private organizations, like the company SafePath. The application is tailored for users in Nigeria, and is fully functional in English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa. It also supports multiple languages.
Conclusion
With recent advances in artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies, Nigeria has a lot of ground to make up with the rest of the world. The benefits of implementing these technologies into the country could mean big things for all citizens and businesses. If done correctly, the country can finally prove to the world that the “Nigerian Dream” really is possible. This article doesn’t only offer ideas for Nigeria to follow, but also key steps that they can take to improve their standing on the digital front. The most important part is to start small and build up from there. With these simple steps, the country can take great strides towards digital transformation.
