How to balance between the adoption of modern AI systems and understanding the basics?

The AI landscape is rapidly evolving and staying at the forefront of technological advancements is crucial for many individuals and organizations. There may be pressure to adopt modern AI systems to remain competitive, follow industry trends, or keep up with the capabilities offered by competitors. Newer systems often incorporate the latest advancements in technology, research, and best practices. They may offer improved features, enhanced efficiency, or greater capabilities compared to older systems. People are naturally drawn to advancements that promise better outcomes or experiences. On the other hand, society tends to value progress and staying up to date. Adopting modern systems can be seen to align with current trends and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving world. It can also signal a willingness to embrace change and adapt to new ways of doing things. According to the global cybersecurity company Kaspersky (Kaspersky.co.za) blog, "Industrial cybersecurity challenge in Africa for 2023" Ethiopia is one of the three countries which experienced the most attacks on ICS infrastructure Ethiopia (62%), Algeria (59%), and Burundi (57%). Research data conducted by Kaspersky Global Research showed in 2023 alone, Ethiopia witnessed about 18,000 attacks and 30,000 ransomwares. These attacks were from the African region and some are from global attackers. During the last nine months of the 2022/23 budget year according to Capital Ethiopia newspaper, "the Information Network Security Administration (INSA) was able to identify and respond to 4422 cyber-attacks and attempted attacks in Ethiopia". A country like Ethiopia may have limited or unreliable technological infrastructure, including inadequate internet connectivity, power supply issues, or outdated hardware. These limitations can hinder the development and implementation of robust information systems. In addition, unlike other countries, Ethiopia faces a shortage of skilled professionals with expertise in information systems development and maintenance. This can limit the ability to build and manage complex systems effectively, leading to potential shortcomings in system design, implementation, ongoing support and ultimately for the service disruption. On the other hand, limited financial resources can pose significant challenges when it comes to building information systems. Developing countries may struggle to allocate sufficient funds for infrastructure development, acquiring necessary software and hardware, training personnel, and ensuring ongoing system maintenance and upgrades. Information systems rely on accurate and reliable data. What we know is issues with lack of data quality, including incomplete, inconsistent, or outdated data. Insufficient data collection mechanisms, lack of standardized processes, or limited access to relevant data sources can impact the effectiveness of information systems. As far as we understood there is less mature regulatory and legal frameworks concerning information systems in Ethiopia. This can lead to challenges in terms of data privacy, security, intellectual property rights, and compliance with international standards. The absence of clear guidelines can hinder the development and adoption of robust and secure information systems. There is also huge on experience rapid growth of socio-economic changes that leads to the Information systems needs to be scalable and adaptable to meet evolving needs. However, resource constraints and technological limitations may hinder the ability to scale systems or incorporate new functionalities, resulting in systems that struggle to keep pace with changing requirements.

Creating balance between the adoption of modern AI systems and understanding the basics It's important to recognize the value of basics and foundational knowledge. These provide the essential building blocks for understanding more complex systems. While modern systems may offer many advantages, a solid understanding of basics can help individuals troubleshoot problems, adapt to new technologies more easily, and think critically when faced with unique challenges. Balancing the adoption of modern systems with maintaining a strong foundation of fundamental knowledge is crucial for long-term success and adaptability. Both aspects have their place in a well-rounded approach to learning and problem-solving. Information System audit is necessary due to several reasons. Firstly, if any organization increasingly rely on information systems to store, process, and transmit own critical data, it becomes crucial to ensure the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of this information. An information system audit helps in evaluating the effectiveness of controls implemented within the system to safeguard data and mitigate risks. Furthermore, information system audits provide an independent and objective assessment of an organization's IT infrastructure, policies, and practices. This assessment helps identify vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and compliance gaps that could lead to security breaches, data loss, or regulatory non-compliance. By conducting regular audits, organizations can proactively address these issues and strengthen their overall security posture. When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, the need for information system audit remains just as important, if not more. AI systems, particularly those powered by machine learning algorithms, are complex and often non-transparent in their decision-making processes. Auditing these systems helps ensure transparency and accountability, especially when they are used in critical domains such as healthcare, finance, or public services. AI systems are prone to biases, errors, and adversarial attacks, which can have significant consequences. Information system audits provide an opportunity to assess the quality of training data, model development and validation processes, as well as the overall governance framework surrounding AI implementation. This helps identify and mitigate potential risks, ensuring that AI systems are reliable, fair, and aligned with organizational goals and ethical standards. To illustrate the importance of information system audits for AI solutions, consider this simple example of an AI-powered chatbot used in customer service. Auditing such a system would involve assessing its training data sources, model development process, performance monitoring, and compliance with privacy regulations. This would help ensure that the chatbot provides accurate responses, respects customer privacy, and adheres to legal and ethical guidelines. The Ethiopian Information System Audit Association (EISAA) believes that information system audits are necessary to evaluate and improve the security, compliance, and effectiveness of both traditional IT systems and emerging AI solutions. They provide organizations with a holistic view of their information infrastructure, enabling them to make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and build trust among stakeholders. We strictly recommend that it is important to strike a balance between the adoption of modern AI systems in Ethiopia and understanding the basics. A solid foundation in AI fundamentals, such as machine learning principles, data preprocessing, and model evaluation, is essential for building a comprehensive understanding of AI systems. Basics provide the necessary knowledge to interpret and evaluate the outputs of modern systems, troubleshoot issues, and make informed decisions. By combining a deep understanding of the basics with the adoption of modern AI systems, individuals and organizations can effectively harness the power of AI while maintaining the ability to critically analyze and improve upon existing methods. Addressing these weaknesses requires a multi-faceted approach, including investment in infrastructure development, capacity building programs, knowledge sharing initiatives, regulatory reforms, and fostering collaboration with local and international partners. By addressing these challenges, Ethiopia can enhance its information systems' effectiveness, promote socio-economic growth, and improve public services.

The Ethiopian Information System Audit Association would like to call on the government and private sector to work together on how we can build a quality and sustainable Information system with the help of Information system audit and control practice and reduce cyber attacks that are attempted towards Ethiopia.