The research sessions began with explorations of quantum and space
evolution theories. Jerome Paschal Manyahi (Mwenge Catholic University,
Tanzania) argued for a synthesis of quantum probability and biological
evolution through the lens of the anthropic principle. He contended that the
emergence and sustainability of life can be grounded in the probabilistic logic
of quantum mechanics, a fusion of physics, philosophy, and theology. In a
different cosmic direction, Williams Dhelonga examined the feasibility of
interstellar travel in response to Earth’s ecological crisis. His overview
addressed propulsion methods, ethical implications, and the role of AI in expanding
humanity’s reach while ensuring survival. Meanwhile, Jean-Baptiste Kikwaya’s
presentation on asteroid defense revisited the catastrophic Chicxulub impact
that ended the age of dinosaurs. He emphasized the importance of international
missions like NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and European Space
Agency’s (ESA) space prob HERA to deflect potentially hazardous near-Earth
objects.
In the second category on understanding the benefits and crisis of AI in
ecology, several presentations interrogated the role of artificial intelligence
across sectors. Boniface Mbouzao (Catholic University of Central Africa &
Loyola Marymount University) explored how AI has revolutionized education in
Africa but warned of the challenges in regulation, access, and evaluation,
particularly due to funding gaps. Didier Cimalamungo (Jesuit School of Theology,
Santa Clara University) presented an ethical framework to ensure that the AI
revolution era serves ecological justice rather than exacerbating harms.
Through the analysis of social structural complicity, he examined how AI
technology’s mineral demand contributes to the ecological crisis and advocated
for Restorative Ecological Justice. Itua Egbor (Arrupe College University)
critiqued the hidden labor behind AI development. His paper called attention to
the exploitation of data annotators and content moderators often from the
Global South and proposed a hybrid ethical model that blends multiple
philosophies and prioritizes human dignity over profit.
The third
concentrated on the use of AI tools in lab research. Armel F. Setubi
(Georgetown Medical Center, Center for Global Health Practice and Impact)
examined the use of electronic adherence monitoring devices to improve
adherence to Antiretroviral therapy. These devices could strengthen monitoring,
reduce viral rebound, curb viral mutation, drug resistance, and accelerate
progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. His analysis highlighted
feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness in African settings. On the
agricultural virology front, Alain Pitti Djida (IQS School of Engineering) used
advanced AI tools like AlphaFold to model the 3D structure of the Replication-associated
protein of the African Cassava Mosaic Virus. His work provides a computational
foundation for designing inhibitors that could mitigate crop losses across the
continent. Similarly, Fabrice Kameni (Ubicom Lab, Marquette University) offered
a hopeful application of quantum-enhanced AI for cassava disease detection. His
hybrid quantum-classical model, trained on over 21,000 leaf images, achieved
87.4% accuracy. While still under development, the model could significantly
aid African farmers by enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis of crop
diseases. Michael Otieno Ochieng delved into one of the deadliest cancers,
pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and its resistance to chemotherapy.
His study identified 31 exosomal proteins associated with drug resistance,
suggesting new pathways for prognosis and therapy.