African countries are increasingly shaping the global conversation on artificial intelligence policy and regulation. But where does Africa truly stand in this evolving landscape? Herbert Swaniker, Senior Associate at Clifford Chance LLP joins CNBC Africa's Tabitha Muthoni for more.
African countries are increasingly shaping the global conversation on AI policy and regulation. But where does Africa truly stand in this evolving landscape? Herbert Swaniker, Senior Associate at Clifford Chance LLP now joins us for more. Herbert, a very good morning to you and thank you so much for joining us on the show. Everyone is now talking about global AI policies, regulatory framework. But to begin our conversation, given this increasing role of AI that we're seeing here in terms of shaping global economies, how well prepared are African countries in terms of balancing the need for innovation and also the potential risks that come along with some of these emerging technologies that we are seeing? Well, globally we've seen robust regulation and policy intervention in AI from Europe. We've seen executive orders come and go in the US. And we've seen specific rules in China. But across Africa, AI strategies, I really broadly see opportunity and risk being balanced into three themes. So the first is around talent and skills. The second is infrastructure and investment. And thirdly, it's around regulation and governance. And the balance point is important here. Innovation and risk is being viewed through the lens to leapfrog, essentially thinking about where the regulatory environment is more agile. Can there be a focus on what already exists? So rules around data and intellectual property, how can they be augmented with practical ethical guidelines on use and deployment? I think it's particularly interesting to center Africa in the conversation and in AI policy debate now, particularly at a time where you have the thrust of what I'll call a deregulatory agenda emanating from places like the US and even Europe, considering cutting some of its data regulations back, really thinking about the balance of innovation here. And so there's a real focus in African strategies around responsible innovation and trustworthy AI. I think it's not self-evident to say in international context that AI regulation is an obvious conclusion. And I would say in African context, there's a real tone of thoughtfulness. So this is thinking about when and how AI regulation should be deployed, but specifically thinking about the real positive outcomes that could be realized. Kenya had its AI strategy released in 2025 to 20, for 2025 to 30. That's really thinking about taking this step by step approach whilst not taking regulation off the table. Indeed. And also to add on that, we had Mauritius, Egypt and also South Africa with its draft strategy for AI last year in April 2024. But let us look at some of the steps African governments are taking here in terms of where they stand on the global platform, on the global stage when it comes to ensuring that AI policies and regulations are not just only globally competitive, but also do address local socio-economic challenges. Because how I'm looking at it, this is a matter of human capital development. So let us integrate these, the government, the stakeholders, the human capital niche in this. Yeah, so this question to me really is about how are African countries showing international and regional leadership? So it's not really just about meeting global standards, but also driving them too. So I've spoken about Kenya's AI strategy last week. You've mentioned South Africa, Tunisia and others. What is clear is that there's active engagement at the global level to engage with international partners. So Kenya's been engaging with Germany, also the International Telecommunications Union to reflect on global best practices, but also focusing and championing the needs of the global South. And that's because in my view, African-specific contextual needs and foundational priorities need to be addressed. So that's thinking about the huge number of differences in language, which is important for training AI models, thinking about important cultural considerations. I think where there is a real focus on how to optimize for local development goals, themes around the ethics of AI, so transparency, cybersecurity, testing for bias, these are all baked in internationally into laws. And these are pervasive themes which are finding their way into African strategies. I mean, I think what I do is compare this internationally against other rules. China has some of the most robust rules on AI, focusing on generative AI as one example. And so what I see when I look at these African strategies that we're discussing is really thinking about mission and then targeted intervention. So how do we focus on optimizing AI to use it for agriculture needs? How do we think about climate? How do we think about healthcare? And you mentioned the point about sort of human growth. I think it's absolutely critical to think about retention of local talent. And that, again, is a focus in these strategies. So reversing brain drain, making sure that homegrown talent stays within country, but also collaborates internationally. I think a focus on digital skills and digital literacy is another area. Nigeria, as an example, had its 3 million technical talent program really thinking about local expertise and how to curb that brain drain. So I think this focus on centers of excellence and innovation hubs really is the pipeline that will be driving support and local innovation as well. And just to add on that, Herbert, maybe we can exploit or expand it a little further and look at some of the other biggest opportunities that we are seeing and also challenges for local industries when it comes to AI adoption as it accelerates across Africa. You can expound more on what we're seeing here. Yeah, of course. And just one of the biggest opportunities for African industries is this leapfrog effect. So using AI to solve local problems in a way that's more efficient and more scalable than traditional models. I think the more thoughtful approach to AI policy and regulation is a facilitator here. So this is really focusing on the real world problems that can be solved by AI. And I truly believe that the problems are solvable or at least better solved by AI in African context. So you have the opportunities for precision farming, healthcare diagnostics, predictive climate observation, streamlining of supply chains. But then back to the earlier bit of our conversation, there's the workforce opportunity. So when I listen to conversations across African countries, it's clear that there's an engaged and digitally mature young AI workforce. So really thinking about AI fluency and how to equip people to use these tools to solve problems is an opportunity. There's also the infrastructure opportunities. So in these strategies, which countries like Kenya, for example, have existing digital infrastructure, Mauritius, and how do you sort of make the most of those opportunities to drive people to invest within countries, but also to make your own opportunities? The challenges are real. So you can have infrastructure, but you have to make sure that data is usable. And so I think also thinking about the data opportunities and how to digitize is going to be a real focus as well. Indeed, Herbert. And let us circle back on our conversation as we wrap it up on where Africa is at in terms of being up to par with global AI standards and also creating its own solutions, Africa for Africa, just very briefly. Africa is leading the conversation. It's participating tomorrow in Kigali, Rwanda. There's the Global AI Summit, which is focusing on African needs. And we're really going to see this translate into action in the coming years and months. Indeed. Herbert Swanika, thank you so much for those great insights.
Theme: Africa's Influence on Global AI Policy and Regulation
African countries are taking center stage in shaping the global conversation on artificial intelligence (AI) policy and regulation. With the increasing role of AI in shaping global economies, Herbert Swaniker, Senior Associate at Clifford Chance LLP, highlights the key areas where Africa stands in this evolving landscape. Swaniker points out that African countries are focused on balancing the opportunities and risks associated with AI through talent and skills development, infrastructure and investment, as well as regulation and governance. He emphasizes the importance of responsible innovation and trustworthy AI in African strategies, highlighting the need to consider local socio-economic challenges and human capital development. Several African countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius, and Egypt, have already released AI strategies, with a focus on engaging international partners and championing the needs of the global South. Swaniker underscores the significance of addressing African-specific contextual needs, such as language diversity and cultural considerations, in AI policies and regulations. One of the biggest opportunities for African industries lies in leveraging AI to solve local problems more efficiently and at scale. Swaniker attributes this leapfrog effect to the facilitative role of thoughtful AI policy and regulation in driving solutions for precision farming, healthcare diagnostics, climate observation, and supply chain optimization. Africa's digitally mature young AI workforce presents an opportunity for developing AI fluency and equipping individuals to leverage AI tools effectively. While existing digital infrastructure in countries like Kenya and Mauritius presents infrastructure opportunities, challenges remain in ensuring the usability of data and maximizing digitization efforts. As Africa strives to stay abreast of global AI standards and foster homegrown solutions, Swaniker emphasizes the continent's leadership in the AI conversation. With upcoming events like the Global AI Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, focusing on African needs, Africa is poised to translate its AI strategies into tangible actions in the months and years ahead. By focusing on local development goals, ethics of AI, and retention of local talent, African countries are demonstrating their commitment to driving innovation and growth in the AI space.
"Africa is leading the conversation. It's participating tomorrow in Kigali, Rwanda. There's the Global AI Summit, which is focusing on African needs. And we're really going to see this translate into action in the coming years and months."
['Africa', 'AI Policy', 'Regulation', 'Innovation', 'Global Economy']