Artificial intelligence adoption is accelerating across Africa, but concerns over data, transparency and accountability are raising questions about whether users are equipped to understand and challenge AI systems as they become embedded in services.
In an interview with ITWeb Africa, David Viney, a UK-based fractional CIO and AI governance advisor at Alchemy Consulting, said AI companies cannot rely on public relations to address concerns over hallucinations, bias, privacy, job displacement and safety.
"People should not treat AI as an uncontested source of truth," Viney said, arguing that users need skills to interrogate AI-generated information and understand the limitations of the systems they use.
His proposal for "AI Interrogative Literacy" comes as African organisations move from AI experimentation towards deployment.
PwC's 2026 AI research found that 82% of organisations across Africa are running AI pilots, while 64% of workers are using AI in their roles.
However, only 32% of organisations said their AI investment was sufficient.
The gap is not just adoption. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says African countries face challenges in infrastructure, computing capacity, connectivity, skills and governance as AI expands, even as countries including Nigeria, Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire develop national AI strategies.
The African Union has also called for AI governance that promotes safety, security, accountability and transparency.
A September 2026 UNDP analysis similarly warned that Africa's AI trajectory will depend on decisions over who designs and adapts systems, what local capabilities are built, how risks are managed and where value from AI ultimately accumulates.
For Viney, this makes AI literacy a key governance issue.
He argued that companies should disclose model limitations, support independent testing and make external reviewers visible when AI systems are deployed in consequential settings.
As AI spreads across African healthcare, finance, education and public services, citizens must know how to question its decisions and who is accountable when it gets them wrong.
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