Nanjira Sambuli
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Excitement and concerns alike animate discussions on the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa. Some see potential for AI to unlock new economic prospects, while others fear that its developments risk creating an AI divide, with Africans left behind. Meanwhile, the present dynamics and future aspirations for the continent’s socioeconomic development are
converging on the significant role that digital transformation will play in realizing them.
Policy deliberations are generating demand for contextual insights on how Africa’s youthful demographic can be leveraged as a strength, the role of (in)formal education, how relevant skills are imparted and the type of jobs available to the majority population.
This essay analyzes some of the prevailing narratives on skilling and jobs for Africa’s present and future workforce, to contextualize the role AI can play in delivering on Africa’s overarching public policy and development goals of harnessing the continent’s demographic dividend and fostering sustainable economic growth.
