The African Union launched the continent’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy in August signaling a more proactive approach to AI regulation by the body representing 55 member states.
PovoNews.com previously reported that the world’s first artificial intelligence regulation, the EU AI Act came into force on August 1 after almost 4 years in development.
The African Union Executive Council endorsed the Continental AI Strategy during its 45th Ordinary Session in Accra, Ghana on July 18-19, 2024.
Africa’s AI Strategy document provides a roadmap for the continent’s 55 member states to develop national AI regulations that maximize the benefits of artificial intelligence while mitigating potential risks.
The African Union’s AI Strategy document is linked to the continental bodies Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals.
Implementation time-frames for the AU’s Continental AI Strategy
- Time-frame: 5 years: 2025 to 2030
- Phase 1 (2025 – 2026):
- Phase 2 (2027 – 2030):
5 Focus Areas of Africa’s Union Continental AI Strategy
- Maximizing AI Benefits
- Mitigating AI Risks
- Building infrastructure
- Regional & international cooperation
- Stimulating AI investments
15 Action Areas of Africa’s AI Strategy
- Establishing AI governance systems
- Promote AI adoption of AI in the public sector
- Accelerate AI adoption in agriculture, education, health, culture, and climate change
- Promote AI adoption in the private sector
- Create an enabling environment for AI start-ups
- AI infrastructure development (Open data sets and computing)
- Information integrity, media, and information literacy
- AI skills development
- Promote mult-stakeholder AI research
- Ethical AI principles
- Development of technical AI standards that promote safe and secure AI
- Accelerate public and private AI investments
- Regional multi-stakeholder corporation in Africa to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of AI
- Africa’s participation in global AI governance
- International cooperation to mobilize financial and technical resources for AI development in Africa
A study by Povonews.com on African AI legislation revealed that no country has dedicated AI legislation, 9 countries have some form of AI regulation and 8 countries are already developing AI regulations.
