7 Ways that African States are Legitimizing Artificial Intelligence

Several reports on States’ adoption of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) across the world have indicated that African countries have a “slow” or “low” AI adoption rate. This position is, however, changing, as several African countries are now bringing a modest acceptance of AI into different aspects of their governance structures and institutions. With what I will characterize as an era of “AI normative emergence in Africa”, here are seven ways that this technology is being legitimized and integrated by African states today:

1. Developing National AI Strategies
2. Establishing AI Agencies, Task Forces and Commissions
3. Amending Existing Laws and Creating New Regulations
4. Building Strategic Partnerships
5. Initiating Public Sector Reform with AI
6. Driving AI Education, Training and Research
7. Fostering A Continental (African) Approach to AI