The AI Future Is Being Written in Geneva—East Africa's SMEs Must Help Write It
As dawn breaks over Kampala's Kikuubo business district, Sarah unlocks the doors of her small wholesale shop. Before customers arrive, she checks inventory, responds to supplier messages, and updates her sales records. Across East Africa, millions of entrepreneurs like Sarah perform these daily tasks that keep businesses running, families fed, and economies growing. Yet a technological revolution is unfolding that could fundamentally reshape how these businesses compete, grow, and create jobs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how businesses operate worldwide. From predicting customer demand and improving logistics to automating administrative tasks and enhancing financial services, AI is becoming a powerful tool for competitiveness and growth. The question is whether East Africa's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be active participants in this transformation—or merely observers. On 6–7 July, representatives from all 193 UN Member States and st...