Africa’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy For Responsible Adoption In The Offing
March 13, 2024
By Jean-Pierre Afadhali
African Union Development Agency (AUDA) is seeking inputs for Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy that would allow the continent to tap into AI-enabled opportunities through its implementation in various sectors of economic-development.
Recently, the continent’s development agency held an online dialogue to discuss with AI stakeholders the adoption and use of AI, and contribute inputs to the draft strategy and roadmap for 2024-2033. During the webinar AUDA unveiled the draft roadmap, AI draft strategy and a report on AI.
The continent’s AI strategy was drafted by the African Union High Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET).
“As we launch our call for inputs into the Continental AI White Paper & Roadmap, your feedback will ensure the document not only addresses the current landscape but also anticipates the future needs of our continent,” said AUDA in email to webinar participants.
African countries are using AI in various sectors of economies amid digital infrastructures challenges, lack of policies to adopt and regulate the new technology for responsible use and advanced implementation.
APET says it considers AI technology the frontier for socioeconomic development, especially during the 4th Industrial Revolution. “African countries have the potential to enhance the policy and enabling environment essential for leveraging AI opportunities, " the panel said in the draft strategy launched recently. “This can be achieved by eliminating regulatory and investment constraints and accurately assessing the risks involved in applying AI-enabled policy frameworks, which can inform economic policymaking and planning for economic development and growth.”
The AUDA-NEPAD strategy on AI, highlightes that several African countries are in the lowest range of the rankings, indicating that they face significant challenges in adopting and implementing AI solutions. These challenges include limited access to digital infrastructure, low levels of digital skills, and inadequate regulatory frameworks for AI.
However, the report notes that there are several positive developments in the region, such as the growth of AI start-up companies and the increasing focus on AI in national development agendas.
The Government AI Readiness Index 2021 ranked Africa as one of the regions with the lowest level of readiness for AI adoption, with an overall score of 3.49 out of 10, ranking fifth out of the six regions assessed.
According to the Government of AI Readiness Index 2022, on a scale of 100 points, the average score for North Africa is 38.59 points, whereas, for sub-Saharan Africa, it is 29.38 points. Both regions are below the global average score of 44.61 points. Furthermore, according to a report by Oxford Insights, Mauritius is ranked first in the African countries' index for AI readiness in the public sector.
AI and agenda 2063
AUDA-NEPAD said in the draft strategy, it realises that emerging technologies using AI as the epicentre can enable African countries to accomplish their ambitions.
“This can ensure that AU’s Agenda 2063 delivers quantitative and qualitative transformational outcomes for Africa’s people,” the AU Development agency said. “This is also presenting Africa with economic opportunities in practically all economic sectors.”
AI’s potential in Africa is wide as it will play a crucial role in the continent’s socio-economic development.
According to the draft strategy, AI is expected to generate new and high-value jobs that require technical skills such as network engineers in the banking sector and web programmers in the retail industry. “There will be a higher demand for data scientists, robotics experts, and AI engineers. This is because AI will unlock,”part of the strategy notes.
Additionally, the value of data enhances cognitive processes, and improves predictive capacities. The AU panel of tech experts said, this is allowing African governments to manoeuvre and steer better policy frameworks and decision-making.
Furthermore, AI is expanding socioeconomic growth by potentially doubling Africa’s GDP growth rate by 2035. The capability to harness even a fraction of this can substantially benefit Africa’s economic development and eliminate poverty, says APET in the strategy.
Particularly, AI is positively impacting Africa’s agriculture, healthcare, public services, and financial services.
However, challenges remain, a recent study released by Qubit Hub, a Pan-African AI research Lab cites data sets and data systems, digital infrastructure, talents and AI markets as key components of any AI ecosystem.
The report revealed low Internet connectivity, lack of data, inadequate digital infrastructure, skills gap and limited markets are hindering the AI ecosystem on the continent.
The AU panel opines that speedily developing AI-based technologies can potentially address the highly critical challenges that are negatively impacting Africa’s socioeconomic development and growth. “Agriculture is benefiting from AI-based economies by enhancing planting and harvesting management efficiency and effectiveness to increase yields.” Noted the experts panel adding “Healthcare is being tailored to enhance healthcare quality, accessibility, and decision-making outcomes.”
APET advises that African countries should formulate legislation and laws that can facilitate the adoption of AI, especially in countries lacking AI strategies and regulatory frameworks.
Furthermore, the panel says African countries should create platforms that can showcase the ongoing AI activities and plans to demonstrate the potential impacts and outputs of the AI economy in Africa.
Additionally, African countries should strengthen human capital development and skills in AI which are crucial to enhance the impact of AI.
APET recommends African countries to address challenges and opportunities for the youth, include case studies of AI in human capacity building, and consider the diverse languages spoken in Africa to ensure AI is relevant and accessible to local communities.
According to the AI draft strategy for Africa, ethical considerations should be integrated into AI policies, with a focus on data protection, the safety of AI systems, and stakeholder perspectives, the panel on emerging technologies advises. “African governments should also prioritise the training and enablement of AI jobs and entrepreneurship within the public and private sectors, as well as emphasise women's representation in technology,” adds the draft.
“Most importantly, African countries should strengthen infrastructure and data foundations by incorporating efficient and reliable energy sources for data centres and data ownership policies. African countries should also prioritise skills development in data governance to enable collaborations and sharing of infrastructure,” read part of the draft strategy’s conclusion.
