Beyond Uniformity: A Thematic analysis of AI strategies across Africa

This article examines 14 AI strategies in Africa to ascertain the approaches that policymakers take to AI development and governance on the continent. AI strategies have proliferated in Africa in recent years, but academic research has lagged behind, which means not enough has been done to analyse existing policies and inform our knowledge about AI governance in the region. To address the shortcoming, this article uses quantitative and qualitative interrogation to analyse all publicly available AI strategies in Africa at the time of writing. I present the findings as macro themes to show that policymakers focus on AI development, benefits, and control in that order. Under each macro theme, I further highlight sub-themes to underscore the nuanced emphases that policymakers give to issues ranging from the need to strengthen AI capacity to geopolitical leadership based on AI advancement. The findings also show the specific approaches that policymakers take to governance in areas such as data privacy, legislation, and regulatory sandbox, and ethics as they pertain to universal and Africa-based principles. I discuss what the findings imply for thematic optimal balance in future AI policies and the need to be mindful of the adverse effects of AI advancement on energy supplies, labour exploitation, and the environment in Africa.