The new age of AI is here and its popularity has grown tremendously especially after OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022. Now most tech giants have implemented AI across their apps and millions have interacted with generative AI either in fascination or with sceptic’s eyes wondering about its risks.
As the AI revolution spreads, countries across the world are prepping themselves for the impact of this new technology – both its advantages and downsides. The risks are obvious since AI was trained on the Internet and so it borrows some of the Internet’s harms including bias and misinformation.
So it has become preemptory for countries and regions to set up regulations around this disruptive and era-defining technology to protect consumers’ rights and safety and ensure credibility of democratic processes.
The EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act was the world’s first comprehensive AI law the draft law was adopted this month by all 27 member states.
Across the pond, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order on AI. The set of rules and guidelines requires more transparency from AI companies including setting safety standards and a focus on labelling AI-generated content. The country is already in an election year and AI could certainly influence voters through deep fakes and disinformation campaigns by bad actors.
Unlike the US counterpart, the EU’s AI act includes potential bans on problematic AI forms and has strict transparency requirements for these tech companies. The US government which is more lax with lighter regulations to allow for innovation, has already secured voluntary commitments from the top seven companies in the AI industry. The commitments revolve around safety, security and trust.
The US government is working with its allies across the globe and in Africa as well as with partners like Kenya and Nigeria.
In the continent, the African Union already has a strategy for AI regulations across its 55 members aptly named the Continental Strategy on AI (the AU AI Strategy). These regulations now still in draft are expected to be endorsed in the upcoming AU annual summit in February next year.
Most countries in Africa are getting support from multinational organisations such as the World Economic Forum, UNESCO, GIZ FAIR Forward and also through regional collaborations as well.
Several countries in Africa have started working on their own set of regulations. Senegal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Tunisia, Mauritius and Morocco already have national AI policies.
Mauritius was the first country in Africa to have an AI strategy.
Seven South African countries met and drafted produced the Windhoek Statement on Artificial Intelligence in Southern Africa in partnership with UNESCO. The countries include Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Namibia is working with UNESCO to adopt their Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This blueprint was adopted by the organisation’s 193 member states in 2021. Côte D’Ivoire and Rwanda are also using this recommendation as well.
In partnership with Smart Africa Alliance, South Africa developed the Smart Africa Blueprint on AI that sets the safeguards of the nation’s AI policy.
Kenya, Nigeria and Ethiopia are also working to develop their own AI strategy.
In Kenya, we have collaborated with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and GIZ FAIR-Forward to co-create an AI Practitioners’ Guide focusing on our legal framework.
While the focus is on AI policies, nations are also strengthening their data protection laws with support not only from the UK and the US but also through non-profits like Smart Africa and Giz(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit).
Most African countries will adopt the AU AI strategy once it is adopted.
As seen with how GDPR influenced data protection laws in Africa, the Brussels Effect will also apply in the continent as the European Union AI Act will certainly impact how African AI laws are drafted – most regulations will mirror the EU AI Act.
The AU was recently made a permanent member of the G20 during last year’s Indian G20 Presidency Summit which means that the continent can now have a voice when it comes to global issues and this includes AI policy discussions. South Africa is set to host the G20 late next year.
Some of the AI strategies have different focuses – Mauritius’ strategy is to provide fiscal incentives for different AI actors while Egypt and Rwanda’s strategies are to increase funding for AI startups and involve the government to invest alongside angel and venture capital in AI companies respectively.
Sengal’s and South Africa’s plans are also focussing on data science training, learning AI and coding.
It’ll be interesting to see how the progress on AI regulations plays out in the coming months leading to next year February.
