African Ministers Endorse Continental AI Strategy
Over 130 African ministers and experts convened virtually from June 11th to 13th, 2024, for the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and ICT.
African ICT and Communications Ministers have unanimously endorsed the Continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and the African Digital Compact, to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation. Over 130 African ministers and experts convened virtually from June 11th to 13th, 2024, for the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Communication and ICT.[1]
The Continental AI Strategy aims to guide African countries in using AI to meet development goals while promoting ethical use and minimizing risks. It emphasizes an Africa-owned, people-centered, development-oriented approach to enhance AI capabilities in infrastructure, talent, datasets, innovation, and partnerships.
Key priorities of the strategy include utilizing AI for education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, peace, security, and governance. The strategy sets a roadmap for Africa's investing in human capital, strengthening research and innovation ecosystems, and building AI-ready institutions.
The African Digital Compact, also endorsed at the meeting, presents a unified vision for Africa’s digital future.
Both initiatives, developed through extensive consultations, contribute to the Global Digital Compact and the United Nations Summit of the Future in September 2024. They will be submitted to the African Union Executive Council in July 2024 for consideration and adoption.
In March, The United Nations General Assembly adopted the first-ever global resolution on artificial intelligence. The resolution urges nations to prioritize safeguarding human rights, protecting personal data, and monitoring AI for potential risks.
Introduced by the US and supported by co-sponsorship from China and over 120 other nations, the nonbinding resolution also advocates for the reinforcement of privacy policies.
This resolution reflects growing international efforts to shape the development of AI amid concerns about its potential negative impacts. These concerns include its potential to disrupt democratic processes, facilitate fraud, or lead to significant job losses.