Africa's Digital Future: Who Will Control the Continent's AI Infrastructure?

As African governments rush to develop artificial intelligence strategies and attract investment, a critical question emerges: how much control will they have over the infrastructure that underpins these technologies? Recent gatherings, such as the African Union ministers' meeting in Morocco, highlight the continent's enthusiasm for AI. However, beneath the surface, concerns about ownership, governance, and dependence on foreign technology providers are growing. Several countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana, have released national AI strategies emphasizing the need for local capacity building and reduced reliance on external providers.

The Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, endorsed by 49 countries and the African Union, calls for increased investment in African AI infrastructure, talent, and innovation. Despite these ambitions, translating them into policy has proven challenging. In South Africa, a draft national AI policy was withdrawn due to unverifiable references and potential AI-generated content, underscoring the difficulties of regulating rapidly evolving technologies. As global competition for AI intensifies, African countries may find opportunities to negotiate with major technology companies.

According to Priyal Singh, a geopolitical analyst, the fragmented nature of the global AI industry could strengthen Africa's position, allowing them to assert their interests and concerns. The continent's significant infrastructure gap, with less than 1% of global data center capacity, poses a major constraint on expansion. Ongoing negotiations, such as Kenya's contested data center deal with Microsoft and G42, illustrate the trade-offs governments face in balancing investment, energy needs, and strategic dependence. Ultimately, the question of who builds Africa's digital future extends beyond Western technology companies, with debates about diversification and the cost-benefit factor of partnerships becoming increasingly complex.

As Sanusha Naidu, a senior research fellow, notes, the key issue is what returns these partnerships bring to African countries, and how they impact socioeconomic issues. Concerns about data governance, digital sovereignty, and surveillance are also gaining prominence, with many arguing that citizens must be involved in these discussions to build trust and ensure the adoption of fintech, e-commerce, and e-government tools. As Africa navigates the complexities of AI development, one thing is clear: the decisions made now will shape the continent's digital future and the terms on which it participates in the global AI ecosystem.

Source: Al Jazeera