Amid the massive crypto adoption, the African Union (AU) is embracing artificial intelligence as a key driver of development across the continent. On August 9, the AU announced the approval of its “Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy,” which is set to promote AI adoption across both public and private sectors within member states.
This strategic move, formally adopted during the AU Executive Council’s 45th Ordinary Session held between July 18 and 19 in Accra, Ghana, aims to improve the well-being of its people.
Key AI Recommendations
The newly approved strategy lays out a comprehensive plan for integrating AI into various sectors across the continent. Among its recommendations is the creation of an integrated hardware and software environment designed specifically for AI and machine learning workloads. This infrastructure will be essential for processing and deploying data at the scale required to fully utilize AI technologies.
In addition, the strategy emphasizes the need to establish robust governance systems. This includes the adoption of AI technologies in the public sector and the promotion of the tech within private enterprises. The strategy is closely aligned with the AU’s Agenda 2063, which outlines the continent’s long-term socio-economic transformation goals, as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Other significant focus areas include the establishment of technical standards to ensure AI safety and security, the acceleration of AI-related investments and the enhancement of regional cooperation.
Phased Implementation
The AI strategy outlines a five-year implementation period from 2025 to 2030, divided into two distinct phases. The first phase, spanning from 2025 to 2026, will concentrate on laying the necessary groundwork. This includes establishing governance frameworks, mobilizing resources, and enhancing the capacities of the AU, regional economic communities, specialized agencies, and member states.
The second phase, set to run from 2027 to 2030, will focus on the practical implementation of the critical projects and initiatives outlined in the strategy. This phase would aim to translate the strategic vision into tangible outcomes that will drive the continent’s AI development forward.
In a related development, Nigeria recently launched Africa’s first-ever multilingual large language model (LLM) in April 2024. This milestone was spearheaded by Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy of Nigeria.
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