Abstract

Recent advancements in Frontier Technologies and Innovations (FTI), including artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology have shown significant and tremendous potentials for sustainable development globally. Despite this, Africa appears to be unprepared to equitably use or adopt these technological innovations. Evidence has shown that the ongoing global growth in FTI negatively impacts Africa with multifaceted inequalities ranging from poor global class, persistent poverty, disparities in income-earning opportunities, internet usage, pay gap, poor standards of education and health, etc., resulting majorly from poor adoption of technological innovations and favorable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies, culture, ethics, and values. Significant digital divides were evident between the technologically advanced countries and backward countries such as Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic because technological innovations have become critical tools for addressing the spread of the disease. This study highlights the strategy for coping with FTI for sustainable development in Africa. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was adopted as the study conceptual framework. UTAUT model claims that users' acceptance behavior toward technology is determined by users' decision to use technology and the perceived benefits thereof. The researchers explored a narrative review, analysis, and synthesis of vast works of literature that revealed significant information on strategies for coping with FTI in Africa. The researchers also conjointly extracted peer-reviewed articles among the last five years from electronic databases, engaging some keywords like "Frontier Technologies and Innovations in Africa' 'Coping with Frontier Technologies and Innovations' leveraging resources of Africa via Technology and Innovation", etc. Results show that global progress was associated with sharper inequality between countries, with widening disparities in FTI adoption, literacy level, and access to products, social services such as ICT infrastructure, electrification, education, and health. Results also show that literacy empowerment in Africa especially among women, on technology adoption, policies, culture, ethics, and values may advance sustainable goals, leverage their literacy abilities for FTI adoption, and close widening gaps and inequalities in global FTI.

Highlights

  • Frontier Technologies and Innovations (FTI) can be referred to as technology that is being applied in new contexts

  • Evidence has shown that the ongoing global growth in FTI negatively impacts Africa with multifaceted inequalities ranging from poor global class, persistent poverty, disparities in income-earning opportunities, internet usage, pay gap, poor standards of education and health, etc., resulting majorly from poor adoption of technological innovations and favorable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies, culture, ethics, and values

  • There are shreds of evidence that suggest that there are no remarkable sustainable ICT services for sustainable FTI and economic productivity in Africa majorly due to significant gender gaps in internet use (23%), literacy rate (48.6%), pay gap (22%), political ambition, educational outcomes, etc., as a result of restrictions placed by culture, ethics, and values that failed to recognize gender equality in these areas, especially for African women [3], [7]and [29]

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Summary

Introduction

Frontier Technologies and Innovations (FTI) can be referred to as technology that is being applied in new contexts. Robots are not new, but using them to collect offerings in churches during the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time would make their use as frontier technology. FTI otherwise referred to as 'emerging technology' is the phase in the evolution of modern technology that involves the intelligent combination of radical forward-thinking, simulation, and real-world implementation. Examples of frontier technologies and innovations include robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, machine learning, blockchain technology, drones, renewable energy, fabric-based wearable sensors, and augmented reality [35]. Fabric-based wearable sensors are applicable in areas of health monitoring, smart prosthetics, and assistive technologies that can enable disabled people to operate motorized equipment using their active organs within their surroundings. FTI, are practical realities of the framework in the evolution of modern technology, to build the future of technological innovations

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