Prudential Bank CIO calls for domestication of AI tools to reflect African culture and linguistics
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Prudential Bank, Leopold Armah, is calling on technology engineers in Africa and across the developing world to initiate steps toward domesticating Artificial intelligence (AI) technology by gradually developing local use cases considering linguistics and peculiar practices.
He noted that AI, evidently, has moved from experimental to essential, and permeating every area of life, including threat intelligence and cybersecurity in general as such domesticating the tool will facilitate better appreciation of its potential.
Commenting on the topic “AI, Automation and the Future of Threat Intelligence” on the sidelines of the recently held CISO Summit 2025 in Accra, Mr. Armah noted that it is time to simplify, invest and urgently start building capacity at both the individual and corporate levels to make AI relevant to our environment.
“Evidently, AI has moved from experimental to essential. AI and automation are helping us develop the ability to correlate tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that enable quicker identification of threat actors and simulate attack scenarios. It is critical therefore for developing countries to initiate steps toward domesticating the tool. This will facilitate better appreciation and project the potential of the tool” he said.
Mr. Armah noted that some key benefits of AI and automation in threat intelligence include Speed, where AI and automation can respond to threats much faster than manual intervention, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers; Efficiency, in that automated systems can handle repetitive tasks such as patch management, log analysis, and vulnerability scanning without fatigue; and Consistency, because the two ensure that responses follow a consistent process, reducing human error.
He however gave a note of caution saying “while speed, efficiency and consistency are desirable, it’s important to understand that AI and automation are not always perfect and can be prone to errors, especially when the data is not trained based on the expected outputs. As we dive headfirst into this uncharted territory, we need to keep our eyes wide open. It is not just about the potential benefits and drawbacks, but also about how AI is going to continue to mold and reshape the workplace in ways we might not even imagine.”
Mr. Armah advised all to “look beyond excitement (sometimes the anxieties) and rather focus on becoming more conversant with the governing rules, ethical issues and the associated legal framework with data and AI. And where there is little or non-existent, we must initiate steps towards their development.”
He noted that there is the need to, at all times, balance safety and morality against speed and innovation, saying machines could do a great deal, but what they should do is the statement users need to continue addressing.
He dispelled fears that AI and automation are a serious threat to job security at the workplace referencing a quote made by Ray Kurzweil, a notable futurist, as an assurance that human beings will always remain superior to machines. He believes AI will ultimately become our thought partner, not a replacement.
“Ray Kurzweil, a notable futurist says ‘Our technology, our machines are part of our humanity. We create them to extend ourselves and that is what is unique about human beings.’ What readily comes to mind in response to the threat of jobs sentiment is the second part of Kurzweil’s statement, I believe the world will just get better if we nurture and collaborate with machines and technology to solve problems.” he said.
