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Ethiopia's hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River has angered downstream neighbors, especially Sudan, where people rely on the river for farming and other livelihoods. To reduce the risk of conflict, a group of scientists has used artificial intelligence, AI, to show how all could benefit. But getting Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to agree on an AI solution could prove challenging, as Henry Wilkins reports from Khartoum, Sudan.
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/Script SUDAN ETHIOPIA NILE DAM (TV/R)
HEADLINE: Can AI Help Solve Diplomatic Dispute Over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?
TEASER: Scientists say they have used AI modeling to show how Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia can all benefit from the dam
PUBLISHED: 03/01/23 at 10:10am
BYLINE: Henry Wilkins
DATELINE: Khartoum, Sudan
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Wilkins
VIDEO EDITOR: Henry Wilkins
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: DLJ, Bowman
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Zoom, AFP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO_X_
TRT: 3:00
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO)) Ethiopia's hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River has angered downstream neighbors, especially Sudan, where people rely on the river for farming and other livelihoods. To reduce the risk of conflict, a group of scientists has used artificial intelligence, AI, to show how all could benefit. But getting Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to agree on an AI solution could prove challenging, as Henry Wilkins reports from Khartoum, Sudan.
((NARRATOR))
Artificial intelligence has been making headlines recently with chatbots like ChatGPT, seen here, that answer complex questions, write computer code, and even compose essays for high school and university students looking for a shortcut.
But, can AI also help solve diplomatic disputes?
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which sits on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, is causing concern for its downstream neighbors, Sudan and Egypt. They say Ethiopia’s control of the river’s flow, which Ethiopia says is for electricity generation, could lead to water shortages and impact the livelihoods of those who rely on the river.
Here in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, Al-Hadi Abdel-Wahhab Jibril is a farmer who also runs a brick-making business by the Blue Nile.
He says the changes in soil caused by the dam are affecting both of his enterprises.
((Al-Hadi Abdel-Wahhab Jibril, Farmer and Brickmaker (in Arabic))
“Because of the dam, the amount of silt that came along the Nile from Ethiopia has decreased by about 80 percent. Silt is important for soil renewal, but now we only get harmful soil that contains a high percentage of sand.”
((NARRATOR))
Aside from the dam already having an impact for people like Jibril, relations between Sudan and Ethiopia are often fraught, with border clashes a regular occurrence. There is concern that in a wider conflict, Ethiopia could restrict the flow of water, strangling its neighbor.
Earlier this year, scientists published a paper in the journal Nature which offers a solution, however - AI modeling. With the help of AI, they have shown that if managed correctly, all three countries can benefit from the dam and put an end to the diplomatic dispute that has simmered since construction of the dam began in 2011.
((MANDATORY COURTESY: ZOOM))
((Mohammed Basheer, Humboldt University of Berlin (in English, 18 secs))
“All of that sounds very good, but it’s very complex. How can we really design an approach, because there are almost unlimited ways? So, what we did is we poured artificial intelligence on top. So, what artificial intelligence does is it navigates that complexity within the system and suggests a set of solutions.”
((NARRATOR))
The AI looked at the water, energy needs, and GDP growth for all three countries and came up with a formula for how the dam could be run to benefit them as equally as possible.
Basheer said the challenge now is getting that information in front of diplomats and politicians, so it can inform the debate.
But, experts say getting them to listen to an AI could be tricky, even if the data is good…
((MANDATORY COURTESY: ZOOM))
((Clare Shakya, International Institute for Environment and Development (in English, 12 secs)))
“Even then, sometimes, if the analysis doesn’t really suit their purposes, they will find reasons to disagree with the assumptions."
((NARRATOR))
As for ChatGPT, asked if AI can really help solve diplomatic disputes, it says “[It] can potentially be used to assist in resolving diplomatic disputes, but it cannot be the sole solution.”
It will be up to the all-too-human politicians to make it work.
((Henry Wilkins, for VOA News, Khartoum, Sudan))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Khartoum, Sudan
Embargo DateMarch 1, 2023 16:20 EST
Byline
((Henry Wilkins, for VOA News, Khartoum, Sudan))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
