Yesh Surjoodeen, managing director of South Africa at HP, talks about how an AI integrated laptop designed for the African market can increase productivity and security and rapidly convert the workplace. Emma Okonji presents an excerpt:
HP is at the forefront of AI innovation. How will AI be integrated into personal laptops and how will this affect the African market?
I think this is very important for the African market. First of all, Artificial Intelligence (AI) laptops are not only designed primarily for productivity improvements, but also for security and, more importantly, personalization. In the African market, it’s about things that are more important to us, such as battery optimization and the ability to always have access to security.
AI laptops really encourage the ability to adapt in decision making, especially in ways that better utilize battery life while ensuring security. But overall, I think AI integration redefines how African students interact with experts and, more importantly, with devices. HP has confirmed that AI-powered laptops serve both the corporate and consumer markets, and demand is growing in the market.
Beyond hardware, how does HP ensure that African AI solutions are aligned to the needs of local businesses and workers?
Hardware alone does not stand out in itself. You also need to be familiar with the software side of equations.
For example, Microsoft Copilot is an AI-based software tool that enhances generation capabilities. We expect rapid investments in many software technologies that will enhance AI adoption and unlock better opportunities.
For local businesses and labor, it is essential to focus on skills development by promoting a better understanding of AI tools and customizing them for the African market. At the very least, you need to ensure continuous upskills for both your clients and the workforce on how best to use these tools.
HP is extremely enthusiastic about using AI to drive technology. In your view, what are the biggest challenges in bringing AI integrated personal laptops to the African market?
Certainly, bringing AI-integrated personal laptops to some African markets has challenges. The most obvious challenge is infrastructure. This is important and you have to find a way around it. Infrastructure is primarily a challenge due to unstable power sources and, more importantly, sporadic connectivity depending on the region of Africa.
Apart from infrastructure, affordability and accessibility are also major challenges. These factors affect the speed at which AI-driven technology can be implemented and Africans can compete on a global level. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that AI technology is available, affordable and accessible to Africans as quickly as possible.
Additionally, global markets can vary widely, so they are looking for ways to design, develop and create devices that are more affordable for the market. The more you can achieve this, the easier it will be to educate your customers about making informed decisions about AI-powered devices. This is important to drive recruitment. These are some of the key challenges needed to get started on the initiative.
The energy consumption of AI is growing concern. How is HP dealing with sustainability while implementing AI-driven hardware?
The first step to address this is to ensure that your AI devices are optimized. When performing more AI-driven tasks, it is necessary to ensure that devices offer energy-efficient benefits through thoughtful design. We put great effort into optimizing our hardware and reducing power consumption.
While you can achieve this at the hardware level, AI notebooks also feature AI-driven power management tools. This means that the device does not need to run at full capacity all the time. Instead, the system can intelligently maximize power usage.
It takes steps to reduce the overall energy consumption footprint beyond device-level energy efficiency. We are committed to responsible technical development and manufacturing. HP is continuously working on innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption while ensuring high performance.
We previously talked about integrating AI into devices. How do you address interoperability issues when integrating AI into devices?
We understand that the world is very interconnected and many solutions are cloud-based. There are many opportunities to process data both in the cloud and on-premises, making interoperability a key factor.
We recognize that we cannot limit or control end users to a single technology. However, if AI-driven security solutions are integrated into HP’s own environment, we believe that we can provide better optimizations because we have a deeper understanding of the hardware.
That being said, we are still committed to providing security and AI solutions that work on a variety of devices, including those from other manufacturers. The degree of interoperability depends on the data available and the extent to which AI tools can leverage this data to maximize functionality.
We’ve seen how AI transforms the workplace. How do HP’s AI-powered laptops improve the employee experience?
This is an important argument as today’s work environment is constantly evolving. The first important aspect is the efficiency of the device. AI automates many tasks, reduces distraction and allows employees to focus on more strategic and creative work. Optimization and automation are essential to transforming the modern workplace.
The second important aspect is security. Threat detection is important when we work in a hyper-connected world. HP has invested heavily in using AI to develop smarter, faster, and more demanding cybersecurity solutions. AI-powered threat detection technology plays a key role in protecting businesses and remote workers from evolving cyber threats.
As AI moves rapidly, concerns about work movement remain. How does HP ensure that AI recruitment in Africa benefits the workforce rather than replace employees?
On HP, AI is considered enablers, not destroyers. AI is designed to enhance human potential. Allows individuals to handle strategic tasks and streamline daily tasks. We understand that today’s workforce is operating under immeasurable pressure to increase productivity, expand business and compete globally. The important thing is education. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in digital literacy and AI training programs. By ensuring that people understand AI as a tool of empowerment rather than as a replacement for employment, they cultivate a workforce equipped for an AI-driven future.
How does HP Device AI support business scalability and security for Nigerian businesses?
Digital literacy and cybersecurity are non-negotiable for Nigerian businesses. As AI evolves, malicious actors are also using it, poses greater security risks.
HP’s AI security features are designed to enhance business defense. AI-powered solutions ensure that as your enterprise grows, they remain protected with scalable security measures. Whether businesses are small or large, our AI-driven devices are built to evolve with needs.
HP also ensures that AI-powered notebooks and devices provide a wide range of security tools to protect sensitive data. Protecting devices at both the hardware and software levels helps businesses expand safely in the digital world more and more safely.
The education and health sector in Nigeria is evolving. How can HP’s AI-integrated laptops contribute to these industries?
Education is a priority, and AI presents many opportunities to change the learning experience. HP invests in AI-powered learning tools to help students explore new ways to personalize their education and acquire knowledge.
Healthcare is equally important. Nigeria has a large population of many with varying levels of infrastructure maturity. Laptops with AI can help address some of these challenges by enabling faster data processing, patient diagnosis, and healthcare research.
AI capabilities allow institutions to develop their own healthcare solutions tailored to local needs. HP’s AI-enabled laptops provide the hardware you need to support these innovations, providing intuitive, safe and powerful tools to provide healthcare solutions to those who need them most.
AI is not about job replacement. It improves productivity, optimizes business operations, and enhances security. HP’s AI-driven laptops are designed to empower Africa’s workforce, businesses and key industries, ensuring long-term value and sustainable technology growth.
