Africa's AI Potential at Risk Due to Trust Deficits
Microsoft has issued a warning that Africa's ability to capture economic gains from artificial intelligence (AI) will be limited by trust deficits in the technology underpinning it. The continent is expected to generate up to $1tn in additional GDP by 2035, but this depends on creating conditions for responsible and widespread AI use.
The African Development Bank estimates that agriculture, wholesale and retail, manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare will account for 58% of the gains, or roughly $580bn. However, the size of the opportunity does not guarantee Africa's economies will capture a significant share of the value created by AI due to gaps in infrastructure, computing capacity, skills, capital, and digital access.
Akua Gyekye, Head of Government Affairs for Africa at Microsoft, emphasized that trust should be incorporated into the development and deployment of AI rather than treated as a regulatory requirement after the system has been built. She also advocated for a model-diverse and interoperable AI ecosystem allowing African organizations to choose technologies according to their needs without becoming dependent on a single provider.