Foreign companies driven by profit motives don’t prioritise social inclusion and local knowledge without which new technology risks entrenching inequalities for years to come, writes Kojo Apeagyei.

Africa is emerging as a key frontier for artificial intelligence (AI), with multinational companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon establishing AI labs and research hubs across the continent. Under the banner of socio-economic advancement, this work promises to transform industries such as agriculture, financial services, and healthcare by automating laborious processes, increasing efficiency, and widening accessibility. Yet, behind this techno-utopian vision lie concerns about whether these developments genuinely serve local communities or simply replicate the extractive practices of the past.

AI through an African lens

Global AI development is largely led by a Eurocentric approach that assumes technology and knowledge from the global North is universally correct and should be exported without regard for local needs. This can lead to a misconception that technology is neutral and free from bias. In reality, technology is a site of struggle between actors with different values and visions for the future.

For instance, facial recognition software often misidentifies darker-skinned individuals, and infrared sensors can fail to detect darker skin tones. These oversights stem from decisions to prioritise certain features over others, reflecting assumptions about who the “ideal” user is. In Africa, where over 1,000 languages are spoken, fewer than 10 are used in AI training models by governments and universities. This risks excluding those whose languages are digitised, making them invisible to technological advancement.

What is at stake is the future and who gets to shape it. Decisions made today about which problems are prioritised, which languages are preserved, and which communities are represented will have lasting effects on these communities.

The dangers of exclusion

The current trajectory of AI overlooks the unique values, priorities, and social fabric of Africa’s diverse communities. The Global AI Index, which benchmarks nations on their AI investment, innovation, and implementation, lists no African country in the top half. Egypt ranks highest at 52 out of 83, followed by Mauritius at 59 and Rwanda at 68. With only seven African nations having developed national AI strategies, the limited domestic AI activity further entrenches Africa’s exclusion on the international stage. AI technology is being developed elsewhere and then imposed on Africa.

AI ethics and governance standards are being defined by institutions that exclude African representation. The OECD’s first intergovernmental policy guidelines on AI, adopted in 2019 to set international standards for trustworthy AI, have been signed by 47 countries. Five years after its adoption, Egypt is the only African signatory. This absence of African perspectives at this level means the values and interests of the continent are not represented. Africa’s ongoing absence from these tables will have generational consequences if left unchecked.

Within this regulatory vacuum, multinational companies continue to increase AI development across the continent with limited local oversight. Their business model is built on informational capitalism that extracts data to generate profits. This dynamic risks perpetuating exploitation and concentrating power through control of software and hardware, allowing limited space for African states and communities to shape their own digital futures.

Afrofuturism

Afrofuturism is a cultural philosophy that envisions futures shaped by the perspectives of Africans and the African diaspora. It offers a critical lens through which to evaluate the development of AI. It emphasises African voices, culture, and self-determination and underscores the importance of centring African history and perspectives in technology. While commonly associated with the arts, Afrofuturism in practice advocates for the meaningful inclusion of communities in decision-making processes from the outset. It encourages people to connect with the past, reflect on the present, and project into the future. The practices of Afrofuturism are therefore just as applicable to technological development as they are to art and culture.

Although the importance of user participation is quite widely recognised, this collaboration is fraught with incidents of “participatory washing“. An Afrofuturist approach would integrate local communities through the entire development pipeline, advancing beyond consultation to co-creation. This approach values the lived experience as empirical evidence and enables communities to actively shape AI technologies and reduce power imbalances. This allows them to reinvent their communities on their own terms.

The role of multinationals

While multinational companies bring essential infrastructure and jobs, such as Google’s undersea cables and Starlink’s internet initiatives, these projects also introduce new surveillance and data extraction capabilities with limited accountability. These companies are rarely transparent about the data they collect, often rejecting third-party audits by citing proprietary concerns. This threatens to perpetuate digital colonialism, where technology development in Africa primarily serves corporate interests over local needs.

While many of these companies may aim to advance Africa’s digital landscape, their profit motives often clash with ideals of empowerment and representation. This disconnect frequently results in AI tools developed by technocrats who are far removed from the communities they intend to serve, leading to misaligned products with questionable or even contradictory social impacts. Foreign companies are not suited to lead Africa’s AI future. Instead, a new model is required, one that can incorporate foreign investment and know-how but does not rely solely on them to deliver Africa’s AI vision.

AI for Africa

To genuinely empower African communities, AI development must take a bottom-up approach that prioritises local knowledge and needs over corporate agendas. Several locally led initiatives demonstrate this potential for change. Projects like Ghana NLP, Lelapa, Masakhane, and Kabakoo Academies are creating solutions tailored specifically for African contexts. By focusing on community engagement, these projects ensure that AI development is responsive to the unique needs and values of local people.

AI holds immense potential to uplift African communities, but its development cannot solely be left to multinational companies. African governments must foster an environment that supports local initiatives and amplifies African voices in the development of AI.

In a world where technology increasingly shapes the future, Africa must be an active participant, not just a consumer. This shift requires a fundamental change in mindset to one that values community agency over corporate interests and recognises that the future of AI in Africa belongs to its people.

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