Lacina Koné: AI amplifies human potential

The 2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum was held in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on July 21-22. Lacina Koné, director general and CEO of Smart Africa, shared his insights on the growing role of artificial intelligence in African economies in an interview on the sidelines of the forum.

Koné said he believes that technology does not exist in isolation. It relies on partnership, shared standards, and mutual trust. That's why he chose to take part in this year's World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum to discuss how these technologies can deliver benefits across borders to businesses, governments and ordinary citizens.

In light of this year's conference theme of "Pooling Intelligence on the Silk Road, Embarking on a Digital Future — Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace", Koné noted that AI is not replacing people, but amplifying human potential.