Afrika Techno Policy

In the first instalment of this series , ethics were defined as the ‘dynamic basis upon which the normative evaluation and guidance of AI technologies should be founded.’ Determining the most appropriate ethical framework for AI is a complex task, and it is likely that no single approach can fully address all the challenges involved.  In the African context, the impact of AI (good or bad) will have to be measured and evaluated by African countries themselves. In this instalment, key stakeholders in AI research on the continent are urged to actively participate in this discourse by seriously considering the philosophy of ubuntu as a viable and legitimate ethical framework for AI. As the custodians of ubuntu it is incumbent on Africans to champion its value in the ethics debate and present it as a viable option to the rest of the global community. I write this piece to both the younger and older versions of myself – and others like me.  The younger who silently thought ‘can anyt...

It’s is a big deal. Earlier this month, Africa saw a powerful resolution on access to data. The advance doesn’t right-away unlock the vast troves of data currently hidden away in public and private entities. But it puts this firmly on the continent’s agenda. The resolution was agreed by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), an organ of the African Union. It squarely affirms that: “Data held by public institutions and bodies receiving public funds, as well as that held by private actors where there is an overriding public interest in access, should be made publicly available by default, in alignment with the principle of maximum disclosure…” To this, it adds: “…except where justified by regional and international human rights standards.” The ACHPR decision gets the balance right, and it also voices concern at “data exploitation practices mainly by the private sector, particularly by big tech entities”. The AU already has a Data Policy Framework, but this assumes ...

Public sector tech modernization isn’t simply a matter of swapping old systems for new ones. It’s more like performing heart surgery while the patient is running a marathon. Decades of established processes, intricate regulatory frameworks, and mission-critical systems that each day serve millions of citizens create complexity. Notwithstanding their flaws, these evolved systems keep our public services functioning. Yet there’s a growing chorus of voices who dismiss slow incremental changes to this complexity as mere bureaucratic resistance or institutional laziness; government systems are outdated obstacles to growth, they say. Rip and replace. Embrace innovation. Disrupt. Code around damage. (And government is viewed as damage ). These are the next generation of the ‘ move fast and break things ’ crew. I call these voices ‘digital anti-administrativists’.  The digital anti-administrativism views are sophomoric because they think about products, not final purposes. Bear with me wh...

Without doubt, recent years have seen concerted efforts in the development and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). Some of this has been driven by the Global North, as Scott Timcke has written , although the UN’s High Level on AI has sought to create global regulatory principles. More recently the African Union (AU) released the awaited continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy in August 2024. The AU’s AI Strategy seeks to shape the direction of emerging technology across Africa, from its implementation to its regulation. The strategy is a welcome initiative, particularly as the rest of the world has been taking visible steps in AI investments and in shaping regulations which, in turn, impact on Africa. It can be expected that the AU member states will approve and implement the strategy, especially since it holds potential to aid Africa’s socio-economic transformation and cultural renaissance.  Africa's AI efforts In addition to the AU’s AI strategy, African AI act...

The "Brussels Effect" refers to the tendency for regulation, agreed upon in Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union, to be regarded as the gold standard and imitated worldwide. The United States often provides a competing model by exempting certain activities from existing regulations and deliberately not regulating certain issues to encourage market activity, capital investment, and profit driven innovation. In March 2024, the European Union adopted the Artificial Intelligence Act, European Union wide legislation. Some commentators suggest that the Act could serve as an appropriate model for African countries concerned about the risks associated with AI. However, the act is not yet well understood, even in Europe, suggesting that such forecasts are premature. A poor fit for Africa? From what we do know about the Act there are reasons to question both whether it is a suitable model for African countries and whether it is likely to be adopted by African countries, sui...