AI Innovation Summit urges AI adoption to drive business growth

Business leaders have been urged to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations to drive efficiency, innovation, and sustainable growth.

At the AI Innovation Summit in Nairobi on Tuesday, industry leaders and innovators to explore AI’s challenges and opportunities at a time when AI and cloud technologies are reshaping global business operations.

Speakers emphasised the need for organisations to adopt AI-driven strategies to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital economy during the summit organised by the AI, data, and cloud innovation company Datamellon.

Adewale Adedeji, CEO of Datamellon, highlighted the importance of continuous innovation in today’s dynamic business landscape.

“Kenya has positioned itself as a thriving tech hub, with a booming startup ecosystem and enterprises eager to scale through innovation. As AI and cloud adoption accelerate, businesses are seeking trusted partners to guide them on their digital transformation journeys,” Adedeji said.

“Africa has a unique opportunity to leverage AI for economic growth.”

Geoffery Gitagia, CIO of Avenue Healthcare Limited, urged Kenyan business leaders to champion AI adoption through strategic initiatives, including advocacy, employee training, and fostering a strong data-driven culture.

“Businesses should develop structured advocacy plans to integrate AI, ensuring efficiency and optimization of processes. Strengthening data culture is crucial: companies must invest in data not just for compliance but to derive meaningful insights that drive informed decision-making,” he noted.

Tuesday’s event also marked Datamellon’s official entry into the East African market.

According to PwC’s recently released 28th Annual Global CEO Survey: Sub-Saharan Africa Perspective, business model reinvention is impossible without integrating AI and other advanced technologies.

The survey revealed that 23 per cent of CEOs in the region expect large-scale AI integration within their organisations, while 9 per cent anticipate very large-scale adoption, highlighting the need for workforce development and upskilling initiatives.