African ministers back Ghana’s call for continental AI cooperation
He said such cooperation was consistent with Africa’s history of collective action and the Pan-African vision championed by the continent’s founding leaders.
African ministers gathered at the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence have expressed support for Ghana's push for greater continental collaboration in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure development. One minister highlighted the necessity for African nations to collaborate on addressing the continent's technological hurdles rather than depending solely on individual efforts.
Hon. Samuel Nartey George, Ghana's Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, emphasized that Ghana's planned investment in AI computing infrastructure should extend beyond the Ghanaian market to benefit the broader African region. He drew parallels between Ghana's path to independence and the Pan-African efforts of leaders like Jomo Kenyatta, Kenneth Kaunda, and Julius Nyerere, connecting these historical actions to the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union).
This minister stressed that Africa must apply a similar spirit of solidarity to current issues such as AI, digital infrastructure, and technological sovereignty, warning that remaining dependent on external actors could result in African countries being treated as mere satellites. He praised Ghana's initiative to develop computing infrastructure with a continental perspective, arguing that regional cooperation could facilitate the sharing of infrastructure, expertise, and computing resources, thereby averting costly duplication across individual nations.
The minister's endorsement reinforced Ghana's call for a unified African strategy on AI infrastructure and digital development, advocating for a holistic approach that integrates computing infrastructure, human capital, African data, and a shared policy stance to ensure that AI development aligns with African interests and values.
The UNESCO forum discussions are increasingly underscoring the imperative for Africa to transition from merely consuming AI technologies to actively participating in the development of the technology's infrastructure, standards, and ethical guidelines.
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