Online Reporter
Godfrey Nyoni
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is growing fast in Zimbabwe and is already being used in banks, schools, hospitals, farming, business, social media and some Government systems.
AI has the power to improve productivity, reduce costs and help the country modernise its services.
It can help farmers predict weather, help banks detect fraud and help hospitals manage patient data.
However, if AI is not used carefully and responsibly, it can also create serious problems for society.
Zimbabwe must enjoy the benefits of AI without being blind to the dangers that come with it.
One of the biggest risks is job loss without job creation.
AI can replace clerks, call centre workers, data entry staff, drivers and customer service agents.
If companies adopt AI only to cut costs and remove workers without creating new opportunities, many people will lose their source of income.
Zimbabwe already struggles with high unemployment, and large-scale automation could worsen poverty and inequality.
AI should not only remove old jobs but also create new roles such as data analysts, system supervisors and digital trainers.
Without a clear plan to reskill workers, AI will deepen social and economic problems.
Another major risk is biased and unfair decision-making.
AI systems learn from data, and if the data is wrong, incomplete, foreign or unfair, the system will make unfair decisions.
This can affect loan approvals, job recruitment, school placements and access to social services.
If an AI system is trained using data from other countries, it may misunderstand Zimbabwean names, local behaviour or cultural patterns and wrongly label people as risky or unqualified.
When technology decides people’s lives without fairness and human review, injustice can grow silently inside machines.
Privacy and data abuse are also serious concerns.
AI needs large amounts of data such as faces, voices, ID numbers, phone numbers, bank records and location information.
If this data is not properly protected, it can be stolen, sold, misused or leaked.
Zimbabweans already face problems such as mobile money fraud, identity theft and leaked phone numbers.
AI increases these risks because it collects and processes far more personal data than human systems.
Without strong data protection laws and secure systems, AI can become a powerful tool for spying and exploitation rather than development.
Another danger is the rise of fake news and deepfakes.
AI can now create realistic fake videos, clone human voices, write convincing fake news and copy people’s faces. These tools can be used to impersonate politicians, business leaders, pastors or teachers.
A single fake video can cause panic, destroy reputations, start violence or influence elections.
Zimbabwe already struggles with rumours, political tension and misinformation.
When AI makes lies look real, it becomes harder for citizens to know what to trust and social stability can be damaged.
Cybercrime is also becoming smarter because of AI.
Hackers use AI to guess passwords faster, write more convincing scam messages, imitate voices and attack systems automatically.
Online scams will become more believable, more personalised and harder to detect.
This will affect banks, mobile money users, small businesses, students and pensioners.
If defenders such as banks and security teams do not also use AI to protect systems, criminals will always be ahead.
The same technology that can improve security can also strengthen criminals if used irresponsibly.
There is also the risk of over-reliance on foreign technology.
Most AI tools used in Africa come from the United States, China and Europe.
If Zimbabwe depends only on foreign AI systems, its data may be stored outside the country, and key decisions may be influenced by systems controlled elsewhere.
This can weaken national security and digital independence.
Critical services such as health, banking and Government records should not depend entirely on tools that Zimbabwe cannot inspect, control or modify.
Local innovation and local data control are important for long-term safety.
An education gap also increases danger.
Many people do not understand what AI really is.
Some think it is magic, others fear it blindly and some trust it without question. This leads to misuse, panic, scams, and poor decisions.
AI must be explained in schools, colleges, communities and the media.
A population that does not understand AI cannot question or control it.
Digital literacy is as important as electricity or roads in a modern society.
Health and safety errors are another risk when AI is used in sensitive systems.
If AI is used in hospitals, traffic management, security or power control, a mistake can misdiagnose patients, cause accidents, shut down services or put lives at risk.
AI should assist humans, not fully replace them in life-and-death decisions.
Human judgment, accountability and oversight must remain in control of critical systems.
Digital inequality is also a serious concern.
Urban areas often have fast internet, smart systems and trained professionals, while rural areas have poor connectivity and limited access to technology.
This creates tech-rich citizens and tech-poor citizens.
If AI development only benefits cities and wealthy groups, it will deepen the gap between Harare and rural districts, between rich and poor and between educated and uneducated communities.
Technology should reduce inequality, not increase it.
Zimbabwe does not yet have fully developed AI laws, strong ethical guidelines or clear limits on how AI can be used.
Without proper regulation, companies may misuse AI, citizens may be monitored unfairly and harmful mistakes may go unpunished.
AI without law is power without control.
Technology should serve people, not rule them, and this requires legal boundaries that protect human rights and dignity.
Zimbabwe must respond wisely to these risks.
The country needs clear AI policies, strong data protection, worker retraining programmes, digital literacy education and proper regulation of AI use.
It must support local AI developers, protect human rights and prepare for changes in the job market.
AI itself is not the enemy.
Uncontrolled AI is the danger.
AI can grow the economy, improve services, help farmers, support hospitals and assist students.
But it can also destroy jobs, invade privacy, spread lies, aid criminals and deepen inequality.
Zimbabwe must not rush into AI blindly.
The future must be smart, fair, safe and human.
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Bongani Ndlovu