The US and China are in a new race to shape the development, use and governance of artificial intelligence in Africa, even as African countries scramble to devise their own AI policies.
The two countries have in recent weeks stepped up efforts to collaborate with African countries on attracting AI investment and formulating policy.
At the American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit in Nairobi last week, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and the Kenyan government signed a partnership agreement meant to enable American companies to invest in artificial intelligence and data centers in Kenya, East Africa’s largest economy. Raimondo said the deal would help “facilitate data flows, and empower digital upskilling.” Kenya, Microsoft and UAE’s G42 investment group also announced the construction of a 1 gigawatt (GW) data center powered by renewable energy near Nairobi.
China declared its intention to collaborate with African countries on AI at the China-Africa internet summit in the southeastern port city of Xiamen earlier in April, where discussions focused on China-Africa cooperation in the area. China’s Cyberspace Administration pushed for the establishment of a China-Africa AI policy as well as the promotion of AI technology research, development and application including in African learning institutions.
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A handful of African countries, including Egypt, Rwanda and Mauritius, have so far published national AI strategies, while several others including Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa are in different stages of developing similar strategies. But regulation of AI is yet to be adopted on the continent, despite growing calls to do so.
“The law is playing catch up to the technology,” Emmanuel Kimeu, secretary, ICT Security in Kenya’s technology ministry, told Semafor Africa, likening the rise of AI to that of the mobile money product M-Pesa which was pioneered in Kenya in 2008 effectively without regulation.
He said the government was in talks with stakeholders including the private sector as it aims to develop new laws to guide AI governance in Kenya. A project to formulate a national AI strategy, backed by Germany and the European Union, was launched in April.
“We said before creating rules and guidelines, let’s first speak to the stakeholders.”
Martin’s view
African countries must quickly channel significant resources towards AI research, development, policy formulation and applications in their countries if they are to avoid pitfalls including data breaches, lost revenue and bias in AI systems. Without this, foreign powers could take charge of the technology’s use on the continent.
Credit: https://www.semafor.com/article/04/30/2024/ai-africa-battlefront-china-us
