Sam George calls for African approach to AI development and governance

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has called for a distinctly African approach to the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI), insisting that the continent’s values, data, infrastructure and human capacity must be adequately represented in the global AI ecosystem.

Speaking at the ongoing UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Minister said Africa could no longer remain a passive participant in conversations shaping the future of AI.

He said Ghana’s experience with the UNESCO Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) had helped the country identify its strengths and weaknesses as it implements its 10-year National AI Strategy.

According to him, the assessment has provided Ghana with a foundation to develop an implementation framework that builds on existing strengths while addressing critical gaps in the country’s AI ecosystem.

African values must shape AI ethics

Mr George argued that conversations about AI ethics must extend beyond technical considerations to examine the values embedded in AI systems.

He questioned whose values are reflected in AI models being developed and deployed around the world, stressing that ethical standards are ultimately influenced by the values of the societies that develop them.

He raised concerns that some AI systems may struggle to properly recognise African cultural practices because they have not been sufficiently trained on African datasets.

He cited a hypothetical example in which an AI system could distinguish between a Western woman wearing a bikini and an African woman participating in a traditional cultural rite, potentially classifying the latter as nudity because of inadequate understanding of the cultural context.

The Minister said such outcomes demonstrated the risks associated with developing AI systems without adequate representation of African data, cultures and traditions.

He therefore urged UNESCO to take a leading role in ensuring that African perspectives and values are adequately reflected in global standards for AI ethics.

Mr George also drew comparisons with social media governance, questioning whether global community standards established by technology companies sufficiently account for African cultural values.

He maintained that Africa must have a stronger voice in determining the standards that will govern emerging technologies.

Africa must invest in computing infrastructure

The Minister also called for greater investment in computing infrastructure across Africa, stressing that the continent needs the capacity to develop and deploy AI without excessive dependence on infrastructure located outside the continent.

He disclosed that Ghana is committing US$250 million over the next two years towards the development of AI computing infrastructure.

However, he stressed that the investment was not intended to serve Ghana alone.

According to him, Ghana could develop into a regional computing hub that provides access to high-performance computing resources for neighbouring countries, universities, researchers and technology start-ups.

“We’re not building for Ghana. Ghana is just 35 million people. We’re building that infrastructure with a mindset of Africa as a continent,” he said.

Mr George cautioned against a situation where every African country attempts to build its own expensive computing infrastructure, arguing that such an approach could place additional pressure on the continent’s already constrained energy systems.

Instead, he advocated the development of regional infrastructure hubs capable of serving multiple countries.

Under such a model, he said, countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and The Gambia could access computing infrastructure hosted in Ghana while contributing to and benefiting from the wider ecosystem.

He said the arrangement would give African researchers and start-ups access to affordable, sovereign computing resources located on the continent rather than relying entirely on infrastructure hosted abroad.

One Million Coders programme

On human capital development, Mr George said Ghana was also investing in the skills required to develop, operate and govern emerging technologies.

He cited the government’s One Million Coders programme, which seeks to train one million Ghanaians in future-oriented digital skills.

He explained that the programme goes beyond coding to include areas such as artificial intelligence, data security and cybersecurity.

The Minister said the government was working with the Ministry of Education to extend the initiative to secondary schools and had already established partnerships with universities across the country.

He added that AI-related courses were being incorporated into university programmes, with students in 20 major universities required to complete designated AI courses as prerequisites for graduation.

“If you don’t do it, you don’t graduate from the university,” he stated.

Mr George said the policy reflected the government’s commitment to building a critical pool of AI-skilled professionals capable of driving Ghana’s digital transformation.

He further disclosed that, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ghana had trained all Chief Directors in AI skills.

The training, he said, is now being extended to directors and assistant directors across the civil service.

He explained that officials responsible for supervising and regulating AI deployment must themselves possess the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively manage the technology.

Sam George pushes for African consensus on AI

Beyond Ghana, the Minister called for a continental consensus on AI governance, infrastructure and Africa’s engagement with major global technology companies.

He said Ghana’s upcoming leadership roles within the African Union (AU) presented an opportunity to advance a collective African position on AI and digital technologies.

Mr George noted that Ghana is expected to assume the chairmanship of the African Union from February next year, while he is expected to chair the AU Specialised Technical Committee on ICT and Communications.

He said these platforms could be used to build consensus around Africa’s priorities and strengthen the continent’s negotiating position with major technology companies.

According to him, individual African countries may have limited influence when engaging global technology giants such as NVIDIA and Huawei, but a unified continental position could give Africa greater leverage.

“Ghana alone cannot bring Nvidia or Huawei to the table to meet our position. But when we take a collective position as Africa, then we can have a voice at the table through the African Union,” he said.

Mr George expressed appreciation to UNESCO for providing a platform for countries to deliberate on the ethical, technical and developmental dimensions of artificial intelligence.

He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with UNESCO, the African Union and other international partners to ensure that the development of AI advances Africa’s interests while contributing to inclusive and sustainable development.