The pan-African Parliament (PAP) is lobbying for proper artificial intelligence (AI) laws to promote human rights and increase inclusivity across the continent.
The call for action was made at the ongoing, inaugural Africa Digital Parliamentary Summit, which aims to promote evidence-based policymaking for Africa's digital future.
The event was officially launched on Wednesday in Lusaka, Zambia, by Bahdja Lammali, head of the PAP Committee on Transport, Industry, Energy, Science, and Technology.
She emphasised AI's transformative potential in tackling Africa's development difficulties, notably boosting service delivery in neglected areas.
Lammali said: "There is an urgent need for responsible and ethical AI governance to safeguard human rights and ensure inclusivity.
"While African Union frameworks like the Data Policy Framework and Model Law on Data Protection provide a foundation, there is a clear need for a dedicated legislative instrument on AI.”
She encouraged stakeholders and PAP to start draughting such a framework.
This, she asserted, would ensure Africa does not fall behind in the global AI revolution.
The summit is a collaboration between the PAP, the African Population and Health Research Centre, and the Global System for Mobile Communications Association.
The meeting, which concludes on Friday, brings together members of the PAP committees on transport, industry, communications, energy, science and technology, health, labour, and social affairs, as well as representatives from some African Union agencies, researchers, and digital policy experts.
The discussions centre on how AI, digital health, and data governance will shape the continent's digital ecosystem.
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