A Pretoria grade 11 pupil is proving that SA can compete with the rest of the world when it comes to science and technology after she took second place at an international artificial intelligence competition.
This particular challenge is exclusively for high school girls, between 14 to 18 years, who excel at maths and computer science and who are interested in pursuing a career in AI. During the competition, which took place this month, the girls were taken on a practical journey into the heart of AI to help them develop widely applicable machine learning skills in the context of sustainability, biodiversity loss and climate change.
She had to meet her teammates from Mossel Bay, Soshanguve, Midrand and Durban and brainstorm on how to trace the wild dogs using social media and geotagging technology. Jooste said the challenge gave Koko and her teammates a new perspective on careers they might look into in the future.