Microsoft warns Africa risks becoming AI consumer, cites weak adoption

Microsoft has cautioned that Africa risks being primarily a consumer of artificial intelligence (AI) rather than a creator or beneficiary of it. According to Akua Gyekye, Head of Government Affairs for Africa at Microsoft, this is largely due to the continent's low adoption rates of generative AI, standing at 15.4% in the global South compared to 27.5% in the global North.

Gyekye emphasizes that the choices made by African governments and businesses now will determine whether they capture the value created by AI or merely consume it. She argues that Africa should be able to choose between different types of AI models without being locked into a single technological pathway, and stresses the importance of responsible, confident, and scalable AI adoption.

Gyekye highlights the potential for inclusive AI development and deployment to contribute up to $1 trillion in additional GDP across Africa by 2035, underscoring both the scale of the opportunity and the cost of failing to act.

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