5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 Conclusion Africa’s Artificial intelligence landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, and over the last decade the advancement in AI opened up new opportunities for productivity, economic development and advancement in various sectors from agriculture to health (Stern et al. 2023; Law 2023). The nature of the technology poses risks and challenges that may exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities, and infringe on human freedoms, autonomy and dignity (Bradley, Wingfield, and Metzger 2020; Gwagwa, Kachidza, et al. 2021). There is a global competition to define the norms and values of AI systems towards countries’ economic benefits as evidenced by the proactive regulations from countries such as China, EU or India. In Africa, there is an increasing number of countries developing and implementing AI policies, AI strategies and data protection laws and acts which are in line with the AI ethical conduct (Fuster 2020). However, the implementation and adoption of AI ethical policy and its technologies in Africa faces challenges, including lack of government support, insufficient knowledge and technical skills, scarcity of structured data, and user awareness. As the capabilities for autonomous
decision-making grow, there is an urgent need to rethink responsibility and adequation with African countries’ needs. Due diligence is needed to map and identify AI ethical policies being adopted, developed and applied across Africa by governments, examining the sentiments and policies among practitioners, examining the beneficial and detrimental implications that these policies may have on innovators and entrepreneurs. Then, provide actionable recommendations that promote excellence in the adoption, development, and use of AI ethical policy for African innovators and identify the strategies that policymakers, innovators and entrepreneurs can use to promote, comply with and leverage these AI ethical policies in Africa. Based on the findings of this study, it was noted that the adoption and implementation rate of AI ethical policy in Africa, whereby 48% of African countries have implemented and adopted the AI policy or AI strategy or data protection law and Act which is linked to AI, 40% have already started writing or validation the AI strategies, and 12% are in the initial stage of collecting information that will lead to start writing the AI strategies. Additionally, Africa has a central role in the global AI supply chain due to the nature of its population, cultural norms, values, conduct,
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Ethical Horizons - Mapping AI Policy in Africa May, 2024
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