US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo (L) and Britain’s Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan (C) listen as China’s Vice-Minister, Ministry of Science and Technology Wu Zhaohui speaks during the UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, in central England, on November 1, 2023. (Photo by AFP)

The recent first-ever Global AI Africa Summit, hosted by Rwanda, was a milestone for Africa. It presents as a historic opportunity for Africa to accelerate the development of AI, promote economic and social transformation, and help realize Africa’s Agenda 2063. As H.E. President Paul Kagame rightly pointed out when addressing the Summit, “The potential for innovation and creativity on our continent is immense. Let’s continue working together, and driving AI to reduce inequality, and allow more and more of our citizens to benefit from the good AI can deliver to all of us”. The Summit serves as a crucial platform to highlight Africa’s growing role in the global AI ecosystem. It showcased Rwanda’s leadership in Africa’s endeavor for AI development.

The Summit adopted the Africa Declaration on AI, endorsed the establishment of the Africa AI Council, and decided to raise a fund of 60 billion US$ for AI. Along with the Continental AI Strategy approved by the African Union last year, and the vision for a single digital market by 2030, Africa’s AI development is gaining strong momentum.

Africa is the youngest continent in the world, with 60% of its population aged below 25. Africa also has the largest and fastest-growing workforce on our planet. This provides a huge demographic dividend for AI development in Africa. Africa has much to offer in the global AI ecosystem, among which is data diversity.Africa’s unique socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental datasets provide invaluable resources for training AI models that are more inclusive and accessible.

Many of the perspectives articulated at the Summit resonate in China. Two outstanding examples are:

The first is on AI governance. Many delegates highlighted the imperative task to strengthen AI governance. While making full use of AI to enable economic and social development, we should prevent potential negative effects, such as aggravation of social inequity and technology abuses. In line with true multilateralism, China plays an important role in facilitating international dialogues and cooperation on AI governance. In 2023, China put forward the Global AI Governance Initiative. It calls on the international community to develop open, fair and effective governance mechanisms in a bid to promote AI technologies for common good of the mankind.

The second is on AI capacity-building. Much attention was paid to this issue at the Summit, given the gap of Africa in hard & soft wares, talents, skills and experience in AI. In the eyes of China, AI is a common asset of humanity and should not be monopolized by any country. China sponsored the resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence. It was adopted by consensus at the United Nations General Assembly in 2024. To translate words into actions, China proposed the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All, and hosted the first global Workshop on AI Capacity Building. Many seminars, workshops and training courses are unfolding in the future.

The cooperation between China and Africa in AI is gaining momentum, fostering a partnership for shared growth and sustainable progress.

In agriculture, Chinese technology firms have introduced AI-powered drones and data-driven farming techniques to enhance crop yields and food security in countries like Kenya and Nigeria.

In healthcare, AI-driven diagnostics are helping remote African communities gain access to timely and accurate medical evaluations, bridging the gap in healthcare accessibility. Rwanda has embraced AI-powered medical imaging and diagnostics to improve health outcomes, an area where China stands ready to work more closely with African partners to deliver more tangible benefits for the peoples.

The future of China-Africa AI cooperation brims with opportunities. China and Africa could jointly build a digital ecosystem that is by its nature ethical, sustainable, and inclusive. We may promote knowledge exchange, foster AI talent, and work on solutions tailored to local challenges. Our partnership in AI can serve as a model of South-South cooperation. The synergy between China’s technical expertise and Africa’s untapped potential, could pave the way for AI innovations that are not only transformative for both sides, but also impactful on a global scale.

In an era where technology is redefining the future, the cooperation between China and Africa in AI is much more than  an economic endeavor. It is a shared vision of progress, equity, and a smarter world for all.

The author, Mme. LIN Hang, is the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda

Mme. LIN Hang