As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape economies, experts are urging African academic institutions to focus on upskilling and reskilling to harness AI’s potential for socioeconomic development.

Speaking at the Deep Tech Summit, Khalid Badou, Chief of Staff and Director of Institutional Affairs at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), emphasized that AI must be adapted to meet Africa’s educational needs, while ensuring ethical regulation.

UM6P recently became the first African university to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT, seeing positive impacts despite concerns over AI disrupting academia.

Experts at the summit highlighted that, with Africa’s digitally savvy youth population, AI could be as transformative as infrastructure investments, particularly in food security and healthcare. However, structural gaps—including internet access and digital literacy—must be addressed for AI solutions to flourish.

Expanding AI Infrastructure and Strategy

The African Union (AU) is working on data sovereignty frameworks to unify AI policies across member states. Lavina Ramkissoon, AU Ambassador for AI and Digital Ethics, stressed that Africa must define AI for itself, rather than adopting external guidelines.

In April 2025, 52 nations signed a declaration creating a $60 billion AI fund, though details on governance and allocation remain unclear.

Experts continue calling for bold political commitment and strategic investment to ensure Africa leapfrogs technological gaps and fully harnesses AI-driven opportunities.

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