AI News – Africa

What we can learn from Africa’s mobile revolution, AI’s potential for positive impact on economic opportunity in Africa, and society’s collective responsibility to ensure everyone can benefit. A business leader and philanthropist working at the intersection of technology and transformational change, Strive Masiyiwa is the founder and executive chairman of Econet, and one of the early pioneers of the mobile telecoms industry in Africa. Working for decades to connect people and businesses across the content, he continues to lead initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, education, and social and economic development across Africa. In this episode, he sits down with James Manyika, Google’s SVP of Research, Technology & Society.

00:00 – Africa’s mobile revolution
04:36 – The possibilities of AI for Africa
08:10 – Risks and challenges of AI
11:06 – AI and economic opportunity for Africa
15:22 – Investment in infrastructure
17:36 – Open innovation
20:08 – Collective responsibility
20:38 – AI and education
22:44 – How Africa is benefiting from AI today

Watch more Dialogues on Technology and Society: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL590L5WQmH8f8ID51T0_9JkWpeL9Dcb-S&si=cfehqeSv2hP0uM7S

For more about Responsible AI at Google, visit: https://publicpolicy.google/responsible-ai/

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Big Tech and AI present a chance to boost economic growth and close the gap between rich countries and the African continent. But African nations account for less than 2.5% of the global AI market. So, is Africa shaping AI, or simply feeding it data? And what does sovereignty mean in a digital age?

#AI #Africa

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African Artificial Intelligence

AFRICAN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE by Mark Nasila

His email addresses:
– marknasila@gmail.com
– mnasila@fnb.co.za

Behind today’s AI revolution stands an invisible workforce: millions of data workers who painstakingly train artificial intelligence systems we all use. Many of them are based in the Global South, like Kenya. They are being exposed to traumatizing content and difficult work conditions, while earning a fraction of their counterparts in developed countries. But the tide is turning. These workers are breaking their silence, challenging the system, and demanding fair recognition in the world of AI.

0:00 A hidden workforce behind AI?
1:15 What’s life like for those training AI for the world?
2:29 Why does AI rely on human annotators?
3:37 How one data worker pushed herself to the brink
4:42 The dire work of a TikTok content moderator
7:10 A global underclass of digital workers
8:28 How the rise of large language models changed data annotation work
10:43 Why do data workers have to explain gruesome issues like cannibalism?
12:53 An invisible network of companies spanning the globe
14:48 Overnight, no more work
16:03 Researchers collect stories from data workers worldwide
18:33 Data workers in Nairobi unite to fight back
21:07 Stepping out of the shadows

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There has been a lot of talk about the benefits of AI for Africa; however, one dimension of this conversation is often overlooked: technology is value laden. In this talk, I challenge the myth that AI is neutral or purely technical. AI is not just code—it’s culture. Technologies can carry the beliefs, assumptions, and values of its creators. And since most AI is built in the Global North, when African societies adopt these technologies, we’re not just importing tools—we’re importing worldviews and culture that can overshadow and even erase indigenous African knowledge and ways of life. These tools are doing more than making life convenient. They’re redefining what we value, how we live, and even what we consider “normal” in Africa. James Maisiri is a researcher and speaker whose work investigates how artificial intelligence and robotics are transforming labour, education, and society across Africa, with particular attention to the intersections of technology, migration, and inequality. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Unstoppable Africa 2025 – The Big Push: Africa Shapes The Markets

21-22 September 2025 @ the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, held on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Unstoppable Africa is convened by the United Nations Global Compact’s Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI), on behalf of the United Nations and the African Union.

In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation

As artificial intelligence reshapes our world, Africa stands at a crucial crossroads. This youth focused session, supported by the Mastercard Foundation, brings together young innovators and current trailblazers in the global AI industry to explore how we can ensure AI development in Africa is both inclusive and impactful. By focusing on youth perspectives and experiences, we aim to catalyze a movement that transforms challenges into opportunities, ensuring Africa’s next generation participates in and actively shapes the AI transformation.

Africa’s diversity, encompassing 54 countries and over 1,000 languages, presents a unique landscape for the development of generative AI models and the deployment of innovative solutions. However, the concentration of AI model development in a few companies and countries raises significant concerns about inclusion and equitable distribution of benefits

AI has the potential to profoundly transform economies and societies for the benefit of all, provided it is developed and implemented in a responsible and equitable manner. Creating resilient ecosystems will require strategic planning and close collaboration between governments and multiple stakeholders to develop vital AI capabilities.