As Africa undergoes digital transformation, Morocco, Kenya, and Nigeria have teamed up to launch an initiative aimed at promoting artificial intelligence (AI) for the public good. Smart Africa, a coalition of 40 African nations overseeing the continent’s digital agenda, announced that it will officially launch the African Artificial Intelligence Council (AI Council) in April 2025.
The AI Council will unite policymakers, business leaders, and AI stakeholders to drive innovation, accelerate Africa’s digital economy, and develop policies that ensure AI technologies benefit all sectors of society. The announcement was made ahead of the Global AI Summit on Africa, scheduled for April 3-4 in Kigali, where council members will be appointed.
The AI Council is designed to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing, positioning Africa as a key player in the global AI arena. It is aligned with the goals of Smart Africa and will prioritize inclusive growth, ensuring AI technologies contribute to the continent’s social and economic development.
The initiative, initially announced during the High-Level Meeting on Artificial Intelligence for Africa in Rabat, Morocco, is backed by various consultations, including those at the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025 and planned discussions at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March 2025.
African nations are keen to leverage AI, which could add $2.9 trillion to the continent’s economy by 2030. However, challenges remain, such as limited mobile internet adoption, insufficient digital skills, regulatory gaps, and inadequate research capacity, which need to be addressed for AI to reach its full potential on the continent.
