Ghana pushes for African approach to AI ethics and infrastructure

Ghana’s Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has advocated for an African-centric approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and deployment. Speaking at the UNESCO Global Forum on AI Ethics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, George stressed the importance of incorporating African values, data, computing infrastructure, and human capacity into the global AI ecosystem.

He highlighted Ghana's ten-year National AI Strategy, which has identified strengths and weaknesses through the UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM). The minister emphasized that AI ethics discussions should consider the values embedded in AI systems, as ethics are shaped by values. He expressed concern that some AI systems may fail to recognize African cultural practices due to insufficient training on African datasets, citing examples of AI models classifying cultural attire differently based on race.

George urged UNESCO to lead efforts to ensure African values and perspectives are represented in global AI ethical standards. He also drew parallels with social media governance, questioning whether global standards sufficiently reflect African cultural values. George called for increased investment in computing infrastructure and human capacity across Africa, with Ghana committing US$250 million over the next two years.

However, he stressed that this investment aimed to benefit the entire continent, not just Ghana, by potentially becoming a regional computing hub. He advocated for the development of regional infrastructure hubs to avoid each country building expensive infrastructure independently and to reduce pressure on Africa's power systems.

On human capital development, George announced Ghana's One Million Coders program, which aims to train one million Ghanaians in digital skills, including AI, data security, and cybersecurity. He also disclosed that Ghana is training civil servants in AI skills through partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

George emphasized the importance of creating a critical pool of AI-skilled professionals in Africa. He called for an African consensus on AI governance, infrastructure, and engagement with global technology companies, noting that Ghana's upcoming leadership roles within the African Union provide an opportunity to advance a collective continental position on AI and digital technologies.