Africa’s AI moment: Why community input is key

The Global AI Summit held last month in Kigali was more than a meeting of technologists; it was a bold declaration of Africa’s ambition to lead the next wave of technological innovation. As leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs gathered, one message echoed: artificial intelligence (AI) must serve the continent’s most pressing challenge—climate resilience.

This sentiment is echoed by Kenya’s recent unveiling of its National AI Strategy 2025-2030, which seeks to leverage AI not only for economic growth and enhanced service delivery, but also to address pressing climate change challenges. For the first time, an African nation has developed a comprehensive roadmap that balances ethical standards with ambitious innovation targets.

By prioritising data sovereignty, nurturing homegrown startups, and incorporating indigenous knowledge systems, Kenya has set a benchmark for responsible AI development. This strategy does more than attract global investment; it empowers African communities to control the technologies that will shape their future.

Regulatory frameworks

However, policy frameworks alone are not enough to drive transformative change. This is where the Africa Research and Impact Network (ARIN), comes in. The organisation is translating high-level commitments into tangible, on-the-ground solutions. It focuses on building the capacity of early-career researchers and policymakers across Africa, equipping them with AI literacy, data stewardship skills and tools to integrate predictive analytics into local and national climate adaptation plans.

In western Kenya, smallholder farmers now receive tailored SMS alerts specific to their location. In coastal regions, policymakers are using AI-driven sea-level rise models to prioritise investments in shoreline defences and ecosystem restoration.

In Kakamega Forest, rangers employ a mobile dashboard to detect illegal logging activities in near real-time, enabling swift action to protect critical ecosystems. These applications demonstrate a simple but powerful truth: when AI tools are co-designed with end-users, they evolve from theoretical concepts into life-saving platforms. 

While the Kigali Summit saw global tech giants eager to establish regional hubs, and development agencies pledging financial support, African leaders made it clear that investment without agency risks perpetuating dependency. True digital sovereignty means African institutions must retain control over data infrastructure, shape regulatory frameworks and define ethical standards that align with our values.

AI-driven future

Droughts in the Horn of Africa, floods in West Africa, and rising sea levels along our coasts threaten millions of livelihoods. AI provides a powerful tool to anticipate these threats, optimise the use of limited resources, and inform evidence-based policies. Yet its full potential will only be realised if technologies are accessible, equitable and tailored to local contexts.

Looking forward, we must deepen regional collaboration, sharing data, best practices, and open-source tools. We must expand community innovation labs where farmers fishers, and pastoralists can experiment with AI applications suited to their realities. And we must advocate for financing models that prioritise long-term resilience over short-term gains.

Africa stands at a pivotal crossroads. We have the choice to remain passive consumers of imported technologies, or we can seize the opportunity to shape an AI-driven future. The decisions made in Kigali’s conference halls, Nairobi’s workshops, and in village gatherings across the continent will determine whether AI becomes a tool for empowerment or exclusion. 

Dr Agevi is ARIN’s director of programme development. [email protected]