Regulatory bodies worldwide are increasingly creating a regulatory environment that enable AI development.

Africa is accelerating efforts to ensure that Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are managed to maximise benefits and prevent harm.

It is against this background that African tech experts attended the inaugural last week’s AI for Good Global Summit convened by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which brought together a wide range of participants from around the world.

The adoption of AI policy has been quite slow among African countries with only Mauritius, Kenya and Egypt having clear guidelines, rules, and principles of how AI technology should be used and developed.

Policymakers in South Africa and Nigeria are still in the process of consulting with stakeholders about introducing AI policies, while others, like Morocco, are yet to propose any guidance on AI regulation.

AI policymaking has become urgent in Africa as the continent’s innovators move with speed to harness computer intelligence to accelerate the continent's economic and social development. Key areas, such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and public safety are adopting the problem solving capabilities of AI to drive development in the continent.

Africa has been urged to leverage ITU’s AI Governance Day new report that details key insights and recommendations from policy discussions which aims to guide stakeholders in developing effective AI governance strategies.

“Regulatory bodies worldwide are increasingly codifying these principles into concrete regulations, creating a regulatory environment that affects AI development.

“Amidst this regulatory evolution, a gap has emerged between regulation and the current state of technology and tools for monitoring and controlling AI systems. This gap poses significant risks and underscores the need for advancing tools to ensure effective AI governance,” reads the new report.

The ITU AI Governance Day focused on how countries and regions can balance maximising AI’s benefits while minimizing its risks. Participants shared experiences on effective practices, identified hurdles, and explored paths forward.

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