France has announced that it will host the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit on February 10 and 11, 2025, which will bring together numerous heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations, CEOs of small and large companies, representatives of academia, non-governmental organizations, artists and members of civil society. Questions arise about how African countries can benefit from the outcomes of this global event. This is particularly pressing as artificial intelligence has become a central element in the competition for global influence, as well as a tool for enhancing military superiority in warfare. There are growing concerns that the unprecedented advancements in AI could even surpass human intelligence.
Africa, however, faces significant delays in catching up with AI developments, dealing with a host of challenges. It is estimated that around 900 million people on the continent are not connected to the internet, and a similar number lack access to electricity. There is general agreement that advancements in AI could have a profound impact on African societies, potentially solving many of their crises. AI could add $1.5 trillion to the African economy by 2030, should the continent manage to capture 10% of the market. Furthermore, the coming decade in sub-Saharan Africa is described as the "Digital Decade," as more than half of the population will be able to access the internet, a shift that is expected to have positive outcomes. According to a report by the research consulting firm Public First, a 1% increase in internet connectivity could boost GDP by about 6%.
Against this backdrop, and with expectations that the French summit in February will address the challenges AI faces in Africa, the debate has resurfaced regarding whether this summit could mark the beginning of positioning Africa on the global AI map, as well as a starting point for its involvement in shaping the frameworks that govern this field.
The Importance of the Summit
In the context of a range of diverse issues related to the African continent and the global system as a whole, several factors make the 2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in France particularly significant for Africa. These can be outlined as follows:
1. The Growing African Interest in Artificial Intelligence in 2024:
This is evident in three main areas. The first is the approval of several historic agreements by Africa related to artificial intelligence, including the African Digital Charter and the African AI Strategy, which represents the first continental strategy in this field aimed at enhancing Africa's digital future and its developmental aspirations. The second is the launch of national AI strategies by several African countries, with AI being incorporated into national legislations. The third is the realization by African leaders that AI is not merely a luxury, which has made them eager to participate in global AI events and attract foreign investments in this field.
2. The Summit's Discussion of New Topics:
One of the most important topics to be discussed at the AI summit is perhaps the environmental impact of energy-intensive technologies and ensuring internet access for all countries. These issues are directly tied to Africa's crises, especially as the continent suffers the most from the effects of climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. The summit may reaffirm the United Nations Environment Programme's recommendations, which call for countries to implement standardized procedures for measuring the environmental impact of AI, require tech companies to disclose the direct environmental consequences of AI-based products and services, and encourage these companies to use renewable energy.
3. Africa's Aspirations to Use AI in Internal Conflicts:
While the military use of AI in battles around the world is not new, its deployment by Israel in its war on Gaza and Lebanon has introduced a new dimension. This is due to the advanced technologies employed and the ability to target a larger number of individuals. This, with all due caution in drawing comparisons, may lead African leaders facing internal crises and conflicts to consider using AI in targeting their opponents or combating internal uprisings and terrorist groups.
4. The Growing US-China Rivalry:
Artificial intelligence has become a new battleground for competition between the United States and China for dominance in the African market. This comes amid the emergence of new technological applications from both countries capable of spreading across Africa while geopolitical tensions between them continue to escalate.
Technological Influence
As France continues to lose influence in West Africa and aspires to present itself as a leader in artificial intelligence, expectations suggest that Paris will attempt to use the upcoming summit to redefine its relationship with sub-Saharan Africa. This could be achieved through forming partnerships with allied countries and seeking new areas of influence, particularly with English-speaking nations. Nigeria stands out as a country likely to engage in numerous AI-related agreements with France at this summit, as it is a strong ally of France in West Africa and within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as well as its top trade partner in sub-Saharan Africa. This aligns with Nigeria's ambitions to become a major data hub capable of running AI models.
Amid the broader shift in French foreign policy in Africa, which aims to expand its presence in regions outside its traditional spheres of influence, Kenya is another country poised to strengthen cooperation with France in AI. This is especially evident in the growing relationship between the two countries, particularly after Paris announced that Kenya will be the first non-French-speaking African country to host the Africa-France summit in 2026. This summit has previously been held only in France or French-speaking African nations since its inception in 1973.
South Africa also stands out as a country likely to receive significant attention at the AI summit, as it is France's second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa and maintains strong ties with the country. South Africa's efforts to develop AI systems and attract foreign investments in this sector further reinforce its prominence.
Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are key players in AI within the main regions of Africa, and they host the largest number of companies working in this field in sub-Saharan Africa. This provides France with the opportunity to strengthen cooperation with these nations and establish its technological and digital influence on the continent.
Two Main Tracks
The upcoming French summit will likely witness the presence of many African heads of state or their representatives, especially after French President Emmanuel Macron extended invitations to most of these leaders. The African agenda at this summit is expected to revolve around two key tracks:
1. The Collective African Position, Represented by the African Union Commission:
The Commission is expected to present the African Digital Charter and the African AI Strategy, emphasizing the need to support Africa in utilizing the latest digital technologies across all sectors, positioning the continent globally regarding AI applications, and aligning on the ethical considerations surrounding these technologies.
2. The Individual Position of African Leaders:
African leaders will have the opportunity, through their speeches at the summit, to stress the need for adapting AI to the African context, ensuring that AI systems reflect the continent's diversity, languages, cultures, and history. There will also be competition among African countries to secure memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements with major powers and tech companies.
Challenges to Benefiting from the Summit
Despite the momentum surrounding the upcoming summit, particularly regarding aspirations to ensure digital equity and reduce AI's environmental impact, the summit's outcomes are expected to reinforce Western dominance over technology and deprive Africa of the tools and capabilities necessary to develop AI. This could continue the continent's role as a consumer of technologies designed elsewhere. Several challenges could hinder Africa's ability to benefit from the summit's outcomes and support local innovation in AI, including:
1. Weak Technological Infrastructure in Africa:
Most African countries face issues with technological infrastructure, low internet connectivity, a shortage of skills and personnel capable of handling digital transformation, and economic crises that prevent the allocation of financial resources necessary to establish a national AI industry. This situation results in a persistent dependency on international partners and Western tech companies.
2. Perpetuating Dependence on Technologies from Leading Countries:
These challenges may impede Africa's participation in creating regulatory frameworks that encourage local AI innovation, such as hindering access to technology and the internet across African nations while ensuring that these countries remain dependent on the digital technologies of advanced counterparts. This limits the growth potential of local African companies, while multinational corporations from developed countries continue to dominate, manipulating the African market. Additionally, Africa's role is largely confined to feeding AI models with data, leading to a one-way flow of data that perpetuates economic dependency, deepens the technological gap between Africa and the rest of the world, and reinforces Western cultural and ideological dominance.
3. Impact of Trump's Policies:
With the potential return of US President Donald Trump to the White House, his policies could influence the outcomes of the upcoming French summit, particularly in terms of loosening oversight on AI development and disregarding ethical concerns. This could result in a reduced focus on addressing the threats AI poses to civil and political rights, privacy, and the environmental impacts of AI—issues central to the summit—especially as Trump has previously referred to climate change as a "hoax."
Conclusion
Although developed countries agree on the importance of Africa's participation in AI summits and conferences, they differ on the role of this participation in shaping outcomes that bridge the digital divide and foster local industries. This necessitates collective action among African nations to present a shared digital vision that allows the continent to benefit from AI through available opportunities and resources. Investment in infrastructure such as data centers, satellite internet, and education will be crucial for ensuring AI becomes a powerful force in shaping Africa's future rather than a tool for a new form of digital colonization.
