Fred Zhou, CEO of Honor South Africa. (Photograph by Lesley Moyo)
Honor wants to move from being a handset maker to becoming a leading AI-enabled device business. According to Fred Zhou, CEO of HONOR South Africa, the start of this journey is all about delivering intelligent AI handsets. “For so many, these mobile devices are a gateway into the world of AI,” he said. But a phone is not enough. Behind these devices, there needs to be intelligent, open ecosystems built in collaboration with players across the industry. “To achieve our vision of becoming an AI leader in this space, Honor will invest $10 billion into the AI industry over the next five years.”
But as the panellists participating in an Honor Fireside Chat pointed out, and Zhou agreed, technology alone is not enough to really compete in the African market; focusing on the user experience and on the African context is essential. This is why Honor believes that AI functionality should not only be limited to flagship devices, but must be accessible to a broader range of consumers. “Our X series of devices offers AI functionality, which caters to a massive market and will make it possible for more people to integrate AI into their daily lives.” But if the AI technologies being introduced in Africa aren’t designed with the continent’s diverse user base in mind, we run the risk of developing solutions that add little value to the African customer, explained Akhram Mohamed, CEO of Blank Canvas and editor of Geekhub.
AI might be a big buzzword worldwide, but many don’t really understand what it is or how it works. And that’s okay, noted Aki Anastasiou, futurist, technology influencer and conversation moderator. “Users don’t need to see what is happening in the background, but they are very aware of how the technology working in the background can add to their experience, he said. What they do see, said Zhou, is the convenience, lifestyle improvements, time savings and efficiencies delivered by AI technologies. Today, how a brand makes the user feel is a key differentiator, Anastasiou added. For Mohamed, really good AI happens without the user even knowing it.
While there is no doubt that AI is transforming everything, changing how people experience the world and live their lives, we can get too caught up in the hype. Ultimately, we must ensure this technology is developed to serve people. This was the word from Andisa Ntsubane, managing executive of brand, marketing and communications at Vodacom Group Africa. “It’s very easy to get lost in the technology, but what’s really important is how AI helps to transform the lives of consumers by helping them connect to opportunities that would otherwise have been unavailable to them and to live more productive, prosperous lives.”
Ntsubane also mentioned the potential health benefits of these technologies, particularly when data is used to deliver personalised insights. “If you link this back to wearables, we’re now able to predict someone’s health status and warn them before they have a stroke or a heart attack. For users, these insights not only help to reduce risk but they could even save a life.”
