From the margins to the center: Africa's role in shaping AI governance

The coming years offer Africa an immense opportunity to evolve from an AI consumer to an AI developer, positioning itself to play a key role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI). But there is much to be done to realize this opportunity and ensure African participation in global agenda setting on AI.

“Africa is increasingly neither part of the Global North or the Global South – it is the emerging global center.” This impassioned declaration captured the spirit of a vibrant session on AI in Africa on the sidelines of the UN Summit of the Future in September. The discussion offered a window into how African leaders are approaching the emerging landscape.

Though AI is anticipated to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, Africa is only expected to capture a tiny fraction of this growth. The gap is even starker on a per capita basis, especially as Africa’s population is expected to make up one in four people worldwide by 2050. Recognizing these disparities, African ministers, business executives, academics, civil society leaders, and international stakeholders at the event emphasized that AI governance should be inclusive and benefit African populations.

AI governance, therefore, must be grounded in localized priorities across Africa to foster a vibrant innovation ecosystem. As one participant said, “Global AI governance requires acknowledging that countries do not engage with AI from equal positions. Priorities vary--for example, in Africa AI safety may not foreground frontier models as much as in the West. It is essential to recognize the complexity of Africa’s unique context.”

There are four key takeaways from the discussion that help distill shared African priorities in AI ecosystem building:

• AI Knowledge and Talent—“We can’t regulate what we don’t know.”

AI governance and safety policy priorities should incorporate training programs that build knowledge and familiarity, both within government and beyond. Cultivating and maintaining support for African talent will be essential for advancing responsible local AI solutions. The youth population in Africa presents a valuable resource that can drive innovative technology solutions in essential areas like health and agriculture. Investing in AI-relevant training will drive digital growth and create economic opportunities.

• Infrastructure and Institutions—“Numerous African nations lack fundamental access to technology, highlighting an existing digital divide. We must consider the governance of AI in the context of broadening access, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to utilize and benefit from AI technology.”

AI capacity development must comprise not just human capacity, but institutional capacity to enable long-term African innovation. Limited AI-related job prospects often push top talent abroad, contributing to Africa’s “brain drain.” Reducing disparities in access and capability requires AI infrastructure and AI-supportive institutions, including research and specialized centers of AI excellence across the continent.

• Data Ecosystem—“Even if you have all the [necessary] compute, what are you going to do if you don’t have data?”

Data is fundamental to AI. Policymakers are working across the continent to establish the groundwork for AI, with countries like Nigeria and Rwanda creating data sets in their local languages to train language models, and digitizing government-held data to support citizen-facing AI services. African nations must collaborate to prioritize regional coordination, trust, and representation in data.

• Regional and Global Coordination – “Regional collaboration can help position Africa as a pivotal hub for the future of AI. It is crucial for all African nations to work together to move the continent beyond being an AI consumer to an AI developer.”

The African Union’s Continental AI Strategy: Harnessing AI for Africa’s Development and Prosperity encourages member states to develop national AI strategies to help fast track national AI ecosystems. Intra-continental partnerships can help countries learn from one another as they face similar challenges and opportunities. Multilateral institutions such as the World Bank can support these efforts through coordinated funding, country-tailored capacity building, technical assistance, and policy advice.

Moving from words to action

“Inclusion [of Africa in global AI governance] goes beyond simply being invited to join the conversation. It signifies the importance of being acknowledged and having the ability to shape the direction of AI.”

With global AI governance efforts gaining momentum, and certain common frameworks emerging as detailed in a World Bank Group forthcoming paper, there is a need to ensure that these frameworks reflect diverse perspectives and equitable benefits. To achieve truly inclusive AI governance, a collaborative and pragmatic approach is essential. This requires stakeholders to openly share what’s worked and what hasn’t – such as Korea’s “ABCDE’s of AI” (Algorithm, Business Case, Compute and Communication, Data, and Electricity). This framework offers a structured method for developing nations to cultivate key AI enablers. However, as one participant rightly noted, a critical missing piece was the “F” of funding.  For Africa to emerge as a global center for AI, all stakeholders must work to advance an ABCDE+F framework that enables actionable, on-the-ground interventions.

The UN High Level Advisory Body on AI has emphasized the importance of financing in its final report, with calls for a Global AI fund. Expanding financing options, paired with strong delivery mechanisms, will be critical for fostering a thriving AI ecosystem on the continent. And fundamentally, for these financing solutions to succeed in Africa, they must actively feature meaningful participation by African stakeholders.