Malawi: Ministry of Higher Education ready to organize a workshop on Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) in Zomba. The workshop will be hosted in collaboration with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) on Monday.
ICTP is an organization which is associated with the UNESCO.
The workshop is being headed by Associate Professor Chomora Mikeka. He serves as the Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education. The workshop aims to advance artificial intelligence (AI) innovation in Malawi.
Associate Professor Mikeka has shared his own appreciation for the workshop saying that it will benefit the young students tremendously.
Tiny Machine Learning is a cutting-edge approach that enables AI to run on small, low-cost devices. TinyML makes AI more affordable and accessible for the students as well as masses. The programme can be accessed at a cost of $5 to $10 per device.
“This low-cost technology allows AI applications to be tailored to specific environments, making it particularly useful for countries like Malawi,” explained Marco Zennaro, a research scientist involved in the initiative.
The workshop will be attended by 30 participants students and graduates in the fields of engineering, physics, and mathematics. Malawi will receive specialized hardware to support further research and student projects. The students can learn more about AI and machine learning with this initiative.
“This technology has immense potential, especially in agriculture, where AI can be used to detect plant diseases early. This ensures healthier crops and improved food security,” added Zennaro.
With Malawi’s economy heavily reliant on agriculture, experts believe that TinyML could revolutionize farming by providing cost-effective AI-powered solutions for detecting and preventing plant diseases.
The TinyML workshop is a very important milestone in Malawi’s technological advancement. The initiative wants to give the youngsters access to skills and tools that are needed to drive local development.
The initiative wants to lay the foundation for future AI-driven research and applications in Malawi. With this initiative, Malawi may emerge as a leader in adopting emerging technologies for sustainable growth.