BUSINESSES have been encouraged to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to address various commercial challenges, particularly in data analysis and processing.

Dr Jabiri Bakari, Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General made the call in Dar es Salaam yesterday on the sidelines of the CEO Roundtable of Tanzania (CEOrt) workshop on harnessing data to drive transformative growth.

He said embracing AI and machine learning is seen as essential for businesses looking to stay competitive and responsive to today’s rapidly evolving market as they help enhance customer service and streamline operations.

He said that the meeting highlighted a significant gap in the widespread adoption of data analytics within the private sector, something which calls for innovative measures to utilise digital technologies to hasten operations and growth.

“Due to the increase of digital systems, production and use of data has also increased, making it important for companies to adopt technologies to enable them to translate and process data easily, accurately and fast for better outcomes,” he said.

He noted that enhancing productivity, lowering risks and guaranteeing smooth deployments are all made possible by incorporating modern technologies, including AI into the procedures in order to sustain competitiveness in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

He further said that due to the major transformation in the communication sector, many people utilise the service positively to serve customers and improve services.

He said by adopting internet and mobile technologies, many businesses have realised improved productivity and new business opportunities with many serving their customers online while getting new orders of their services digitally.

Santina Majengo, Executive Director of the CEO Roundtable of Tanzania (CEOrt) said in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, data analytics has emerged as a critical tool for driving business transformation and growth.

“This workshop aims to provide a platform for business leaders, data scientists and government stakeholders to explore the untapped potential of data analytics and its capacity to enhance business operations,” she said.

She noted that as Tanzania progresses towards becoming a digital economy, the recent draft of the amended National ICT Policy has underscored the importance of emerging digital technologies such as AI, machine learning and big data analytics.

“These technologies are pivotal in addressing the country’s economic, social and developmental challenges,” she said.

Majengo said a recent CEOrt survey revealed that while 26.9 percent of businesses have a well-established data analytics strategy, 13.5 percent still rely on perception rather than data-driven decision-making.

The findings underscore the pressing need to bridge the gap in data analytics awareness and application across Tanzanian business landscape.

“The forum focuses on several key areas, including understanding the challenges businesses face in integrating data analytics into their strategic growth plans, exploring opportunities for data-driven decision-making across key functions such as finance, marketing, operations and product development as well as facilitating collaboration between business leaders, industry experts, and government stakeholders,” Majengo said.

Harish Bhatt, managing director for SatCom Networks Africa Limited, said data is very important as it helps to know what is going on in the company, opportunities and gaps that need to be addressed.

He said the workshop came at the right time as it will help participants gain a deeper understanding of data analytics and actionable strategies for integrating the tools into their businesses.