African countries such as Mauritius, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal and Benin have created National AI Strategies, and others such as South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda among others have approved Data Privacy Legislation as well as ICT or digital policies that are used to govern the use of emerging technologies such as AI (Yeboah 2020; Tikoudi 2023; Engines and Growth 2023; ITU 2021; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 2021; Chatbri, Jemmali, and Hannachi 2019; Akello 2022). However, all the policy frameworks are in their infancy, leaving AI deployment largely unregulated. Additionally, lack of a structured data ecosystem leads to inaccurate AI solutions. For example, a Chatbot needs thorough and accurate data to provide users with the right answers; if the user requests information not in the data bank, the system will not function Given these complex terrain of navigating challenges posed by AI systems, there is a need for multiple disciplines on an equal foot in the development and implementation of AI policy and regulation across different sectors in Africa and the world at large. The AI policy and regulation must be ethically, legally, technically, and philosophically followed throughout the process. Therefore, the following should be observed towards the development of a more comprehensive AI policies and frameworks that promote responsible innovation, address ethical concerns, and ensure equitable access
to AI benefits across all communities; (i) African governments need to put in place privacy policies that safeguard data subjects against the adverse effects of data breaches in the utilisation of AI tools and products, (ii) There is a need for clear policies and guidelines on limits of surveillance in AI, (iii) Africa needs to think strategically about what AI and innovation means for the continent and develop policies that encourage capacity building, and provide adequate infrastructure and data collection avenues that reflect the African nature, (iv) To fully realise the potential of AI and innovation in Africa, Governments need to support the development of a responsible AI ecosystem in the following ways: (a) being willing to adopt AI, and being able to adapt and innovate to do so; (b) promoting a good supply of AI tools from the technology sector; and (c) ensuring these tools are built and trained on high- quality and representative data, and building the appropriate infrastructure to be delivered to and used by citizens. (v) National policies and regulatory frameworks need to ensure that emerging technologies benefit humanity, (vi) the policy should emphasize African developers to develop ‘African AI’ that would be tailored to the contextual needs of the continent, and lastly, (vii) the policy should guide African states to look towards creating a conducive environment for the start-ups, innovators, entrepreneurs, and civil society organization to thrive.
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Ethical Horizons - Mapping AI Policy in Africa May, 2024
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