BCI advocates for Artificial Intelligence to serve people and businesses

The Commercial and Investment Bank (BCI) recently advocated in Maputo for a responsible and results-oriented adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), highlighting the potential of this technology to improve services, increase business efficiency, develop skills, and create new opportunities for the Mozambican economy.

The position was expressed during AITOUR, a meeting held in the BCI Auditorium, which brought together technology and Artificial Intelligence experts, representatives from the business and financial sectors, academia, technology partners, and professionals from different areas to discuss ways to accelerate the practical application of AI in Mozambique.

In his opening remarks, Ivo Maíche, Deputy Central Director of Retail and Corporate Banking at BCI, stated that Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a discussion about the future and is already transforming how people work, produce, communicate, learn, and make decisions. "Technology only makes sense when it actually adds value," he said, adding that in the financial sector, AI opens up concrete possibilities for better understanding and serving customers, simplifying processes, supporting decision-making, strengthening security, and developing solutions more tailored to the needs of individuals and businesses.

Ivo Maíche also drew attention to the need for an adoption based on responsibility, security, data protection, ethics, competence, and trust. In this context, he stressed that the transformation requires the joint involvement of banks, technology companies, universities, regulators, public institutions, entrepreneurs, and young people.

Speaking remotely, the CEO and founder of AITOUR, Emerson Pinha, highlighted the importance of democratizing access to Artificial Intelligence, arguing that it should not be concentrated in the world's major technological centers, but should also constitute an opportunity for emerging markets to develop capabilities and increase their competitiveness.

Pinha particularly appealed for investment in youth and skills development, advocating an approach geared towards the immediate application of technology. "We should ask ourselves what we can do in the next 30, 60, or 90 days," he stated, encouraging companies and institutions to identify specific processes that can be improved through AI.

Throughout the meeting, participants discussed topics such as transforming initiatives into concrete projects, and the challenges Mozambique faces in accelerating the adoption of AI, with a focus on education.

The panels covered work and skills, as well as investment, market conditions, and first steps. They included opportunities for dialogue with the audience and exchange of experiences.

By hosting AITOUR, in the year it marks three decades of activity, BCI reaffirms its commitment to innovation and digital transformation, promoting spaces for knowledge, dialogue and the building of partnerships capable of converting technology into concrete solutions.

For the Bank, innovation means, above all, putting technology at the service of people and building the future with confidence.