KABALE — ICT innovators have been urged to embrace Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to boost productivity and unlock new levels of creativity.
The call was made today by Ms. Shirley Gladys Nakyejwe, a Senior ICT Officer and intellectual property expert at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance. She was speaking during a workshop held at Kabale University in Kabale District—one of Uganda’s three Regional ICT Innovation Hubs, alongside Soroti University and Muni University.
The workshop, organized by the Ministry of ICT in partnership with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aimed to disseminate the newly launched Guidelines for Managing Intellectual Property Rights of Locally Developed IT Systems, Applications, and Innovations.
Unveiled in February this year, the guidelines are designed to empower local talent, promote entrepreneurship, generate employment, and ensure value for money. Most importantly, they help innovators to safely develop, share, and commercialize their ideas without fear of duplication, intellectual theft, or legal hurdles.
Addressing growing concerns around A.I., Ms. Nakyejwe tackled the common fear that Artificial Intelligence could stifle human creativity by favouring existing trends and hindering new ideas.
“The purpose of A.I. is to amplify creativity and innovation,” she emphasized. “It streamlines research, boosts efficiency, and opens up access to a wealth of diverse information sources.” Nakyejwe added.
Kabale University’s Associate Professor Businge Phelix Mbabazi echoed her sentiments, hailing A.I. as a game-changer for ICT innovators. He dismissed fears about its negative impact on creativity, asserting that the human brain remains a powerhouse of ideas, as long as innovators continue to explore fresh perspectives.
Meanwhile, Ms. Amelia Kobusingye from URSB urged Ugandan innovators to make use of the Technology and Innovation Support Centres, which are scattered across the country.
“There are 38 centres nationwide,” she said, “ready to guide and support innovators at every step.”
Shimpei Watanabe, JICA’s ICT and Industry Promotion Project Expert, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Uganda in developing and sharing these transformative ICT guidelines.
“We aim to fuel innovation, create jobs, and expand opportunities—especially for the youth,” he noted. “We’re also exploring chances for Ugandan I.T. engineers to land jobs in Japan.”
Meanwhile, this Saturday, April 26, Uganda will join the global celebration of World Intellectual Property Day. The annual event honors the visionaries—creators, inventors, and entrepreneurs—who are redefining innovation and creativity. This year’s theme celebrates music that unites, ideas that drive change, and a future built on inspiration.
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