Continental leaders will push for Africa-specific artificial intelligence regulations during September’s inaugural Pan-African AI Summit in Accra, emphasizing locally-trained models over Western-designed systems.
Summit organizer Felix Donkor argues that Africa must abandon “blind adoption” of foreign AI technologies that fail to reflect African languages, cultures and contexts. He advocates for machine learning models trained exclusively on African data to better serve continental populations.
The September 23-24 gathering will bring together government officials, policymakers and representatives from major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, IBM and Meta. Participants aim to establish regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with ethical oversight.
Donkor proposes creating licensing authorities for AI development similar to existing telecommunications and broadcasting regulators. Companies developing AI solutions for African markets would need approval from designated commissions before public release, following models used by food and drug authorities.
The regulatory approach targets specific risks including misinformation campaigns, voice cloning fraud and other malicious applications of AI technology. Without proper oversight, Donkor warns that Africa could become vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous actors using AI for harmful purposes.
Current AI systems predominantly use training data from Western contexts, potentially creating biased or irrelevant outputs for African users. Local data training could improve accuracy for African languages while reflecting cultural nuances that global models might miss.
The summit will include regulators from Ghana’s central bank and national insurance commission alongside continental authorities. This participation suggests potential coordination between existing regulatory bodies and proposed AI oversight mechanisms.
Donkor emphasizes that regulation should encourage rather than stifle technological development. The goal involves creating “guardrails” that enable safe AI growth while preventing misuse that could harm African societies or economies.
The continental approach reflects growing recognition that AI governance requires regional coordination rather than isolated national policies. African countries face similar challenges in adapting AI technologies designed primarily for developed markets.
Technology companies attending the summit will likely face pressure to modify their African operations to comply with potential new regulations. This could require significant investments in local data collection and model training specifically for African markets.
The timing coincides with global debates about AI governance as various regions develop competing regulatory frameworks. Africa’s approach could influence international standards while protecting continental interests in AI development.
Some experts question whether Africa has sufficient technical capacity to develop comprehensive AI regulations without international assistance. The summit may reveal gaps between regulatory ambitions and practical implementation capabilities.
Local AI development faces challenges including limited computational infrastructure, skills shortages and funding constraints. Regulatory frameworks must account for these realities while promoting long-term technological sovereignty.
The summit represents a shift from reactive to proactive technology policy in Africa. Rather than adapting foreign regulations, continental leaders seek to shape AI governance from the outset based on African priorities and values.
Success will depend on coordination between diverse African governments with varying technological capabilities and regulatory traditions. Building consensus on AI governance across 54 nations presents significant diplomatic and technical challenges.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
