Afrika Techno Policy

AI technologies are revolutionizing multiple economic sectors, in multiple jurisdictions across the globe. They are transforming the traditional sense of healthcare provision, insurance, education, finance, and others, in ways never seen before. While this transformation is attributed to perception of AI’s efficiency, one must not ignore its negative social impact. In the wake of this disruption, and the urgent need to seek a balancing act in its implementation, society also needs to seek and find justice in AI’s benefits - namely, an idea of fairness, equality, and order. In that hierarchy, law should be seen not as the ultimate goal but as one of the tools which can be deployed to ensure there is justice. Role of Law in Managing AI Disruption Society must be concerned with the need to manage disruptions brought by AI, to ensure that it's disruptive force does not result in additional discrimination, inequality, or unfairness. Laws passed in the form of Executive Orders, Acts, an...

The inclusion of African indigenous languages in AI models is needed to safeguard Africans’ rights. While African languages have been resilient during European colonialism, the contemporary moment presents new challenges.  Without deliberate efforts to integrate indigenous languages into AI models, African cultural schema and ways of writing face a greater risk of marginalization. This is why initiatives by Orange and other tech giants who plan to train AI models in African languages is a welcome development.  The 2024 announcement highlights an awareness of AI companies investing in Africa. The first phase of this collaboration will focus on incorporating key regional languages, primarily those spoken in West Africa. Even so, these commercial ventures raise other concerns, especially when one thinks about the checkered history of industrialization. x Lessons from the Past I seek to draw attention to how global historical experiences are interconnected, providing insights as...

I recently watched a documentary on Namibia. The documentary seemed to suggest, albeit   inconclusively, that the Southern African state could be named as Africa’s New Eldorado. Eldorado is a sweet and soothing name which reflects a state with legendary riches. However, there was a subtle but powerful undercurrent of irony in the documentary. While suggesting potential wealth and prosperity (the ‘New Eldorado’ concept), the documentary presented a narrative about post-colonial experiences in the Namibian state, highlighting the gap between economic promise and social reality in Namibia. In many African cultures, names are far more than mere labels - they are repositories of history, prophecy, social context, and personal narrative. The practice of changing names , is not just a personal quirk but often a complex social and political act. So, the description of the Namibian state   got me thinking, rather curiously, about what is in a name. Specifically, I asked myself, “Wh...

Henrick Ibsen’s play, Enemy of the People, presents Dr Stockmann as a character. Dr Stockmann, my favourite character, is not only a medical doctor, a critical thinker, and a challenger of the status quo. At Act number 4 of the play , Dr Stockman informed a gathering at a large Hall in Captain Horster’s house that the ‘eyes of his mind’ opened and, through it, he saw the ‘colossal stupidity of the authorities’. This play has been on my mind as I have examined my data protection practice. Data protection practitioners often go through a reality check at some point - something akin to the infamous midlife crisis . When the check occurs, the eyes of their minds open, through which they reconsider some social justice questions. They wonder whose power influences the categories of data to be protected and making of the data protection law? They also ask what forces are behind the ‘when’ and ‘why’ of the law? They further question if the law is ready to tackle the past and present injustices...

Here at Afrika Techno Policy we explore the intersection of AI, law, and political economy in Africa through critical lenses. We are a collective of scholars, practitioners, and activists united by a commitment to examining the transformative potential and challenges of AI technologies on the African continent. We come from diverse backgrounds - legal theorists, political economists and policy analysts - but we share a common goal: to foster dialogue on how AI is shaping and being shaped by African realities.  We seek to move beyond techno-deterministic narratives, instead situating AI developments within broader historical, cultural, and political-economic contexts. The rapid proliferation of AI technologies across Africa presents a pivotal moment for democratic rights. From automated healthcare diagnostics in rural clinics to predictive policing in urban centers, AI is reconfiguring social, economic, and political landscapes. Excitement about the potential is understandable but...