Page 184 - AI for Good-Innovate for Impact Final Report 2024

AI for Good-Innovate for Impact

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Domain Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
Testbeds or pilot How Zimbabwean SME Purple Signs are bringing ever more Africans the
deployments benefits of affordable, accessible sign language tools – thanks in part to
ITU Telecom World - ITU Telecom World

42�2� Use-case description

42�2�1 Description

Mr Dominic Tapfuma Developed a United Nations International Telecommunications Union
Award winning AI powered Live Sign Language translation tool applicable in Health , Finance
& Tourism for at least 25 African Sign Languages. The technology is registered under the Africa
Regional Intellectual Property Office and its interfaces create speech from sign language and
vice versa for the 1.5million + Dead / Hard of hearing in Zimbabwe alone. Sign Language hand
signals converted to text at 80 words per minute using phonemes and converted to audio.

AI Capabilities are vocal generation from Sign Languages and text; text and voice to sign
language mirroring as well as facial animations for communication.
Since 2018, 3500 words in sign language content have been generated for his technology.
Using AI dubbing, Dominic Tapfuma’ Sign Language translation and cloning products have
applications in content creation, gaming, publishing, education and accessibility in health to
enable everyone who is either deaf or with a hearing impairment to connect with information
and stories that matter in health.
Population Focus: 12% Zimbabwean Population ( Persons With Disabilities )

Number: 300 000 to 1,5 Million
Employment Creation: 10 000 New Jobs - Deaf persons in Tourism, Finance, Health, Front
Office Jobs Highest Impact Industries: Health, Finance, Tourism Income impact - (Agro-
Industry) – Active hiring of Deaf farm Workers (Communication in Sign Language with deaf
farm /industry workers).

At an individual level Dominic Tapfuma is an innovative leader who believes in Zimbabwe’s
potential to disrupt Africa through its leaders approaching business from a global standards
standpoint. At a service level he ensures delivery of high quality service for vulnerable
populations (Persons With Disabilities), ensuring appropriate support and advice is given,
and staff are supported while going above and beyond when needed.

At an organizational level he is an ambassador for our expectations of values and behavior
consistent with changing the story for persons with disabilities to live empowered, healthy,
wealthy lifestyles while getting ahead and not being left behind. He delivers excellence,
achieves ambitions (for himself and others) as seen by his appointment to be a committee
member of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) supports people in working together
to ensure a good service and everything he does is underpinned by compassionate care for
those he works with.

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