Mutambara’s New Book on AI: A Must-Read for Policymakers and Tech Leaders?

Our esteemed former Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Arthur Mutambara has released a new book. As you probably would have guessed, it’s about AI.

The book, titled “Artificial Intelligence: A Driver of Inclusive Development and Shared Prosperity for the Global South” is available for purchase on Amazon and some other sites.

The last time we talked about Mutambara, which was early last year, he was bemoaning that Zimbabwe was not ready for the AI revolution.

His new book is meant to assist countries like Zimbabwe get on the train, among other things. Here’s what the book is all about:

This book presents contextualised and detailed research on Artificial Intelligence and the Global South.

It examines the key challenges of these emerging and least industrialised countries while proffering holistic and comprehensive solutions.

The book then explains how AI, as part of these broad interventions, can drive Global South economies to achieve inclusive development and shared prosperity.

The publication outlines how countries can swiftly prepare to adopt and develop AI across all sectors.

It presents novel national, regional, and continental AI adoption, development, and implementation frameworks.

Features:

• Broad non-AI interventions and prescriptions to address Global South challenges.
• A comprehensive but accessible introduction to AI concepts, technology, infrastructure, systems and innovations such as AlphaFold, ChatGPT-4, and DeepSeek-R1.
• An overview of AI-related technologies – Quantum Computing, Battery Energy Storage Systems, 3D Printing, Nanotechnology, IoT, and Blockchain.
• How to prepare emerging economies to unlock the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks.
• Discussion and assessment of specific AI applications in 11 critical Global South sectors.
• Details of 11 sector case studies of AI adoption in the Global South and Global North.
• Ten country case studies: Sharing emergent AI experiences in the Global South.
• AI adoption framework: vision, strategy, policy, governance, legislation/regulation, and implementation matrix.
• A framework for democratising and decolonising AI.
• The value proposition for AI research, development and ownership in the Global South.
• A case for the participation of the Global South in the semiconductor industry.

This book is aimed at policymakers, business leaders, graduate students, academics, researchers, strategic thinkers and world leaders seeking to understand and leverage the transformative role of AI-based systems in achieving inclusive development, economic transformation, and shared prosperity.

Available at Amazon and Routledge

It will cost you a pretty penny to read through the book though. On Amazon its going for $200 for the hardcover, whilst its £150 on Routledge.

However, there may be discounts on the horizon. Some Zimbos told Mutambara that as much as they would want to read the book, they could not afford the asking price and he replied, “We will organise volume discounted copies for Zimbabwe. Don’t worry. Will make a plan.”

I haven’t read the book but I would imagine our Minister of ICT would do well to go through it and see what lessons she can take from it.