Research ICT Africa

EVENT REMINDER | Public Policy Discussion on Kenya's National AI Strategy happening now. 💻 Register here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dsbNSSe5 #AIGovernance #DataPolicy #Kenya

EVENT | Lawyers Hub hosts a public policy discussion on Kenya's National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy 2025–2030. RIA Researcher Fellow Elizabeth Orembo lends her expertise to this critical conversation about AI’s potential to impact Kenya’s economy and society. Moderated by Lawyer's Hub CEO Linda Bonyo, panelists Ben Roberts, Principal Advisor at Digital Economy Advisors, and Tonee Ndungu, CEO of Tribbe Nation join the discussion. 📅 Friday, 17 January 2025 ⏰ 12:00-13:30 EAT | 11:00-12:30 SAST 📍 Virtual (Zoom) with live stream on LinkedIN Register here: https://lnkd.in/dfCqa-XM #JustAI #KenyaAI #TechPolicy #AIForDevelopment

READ | South African Electoral Commission’s mobile app for voters: Data privacy and security dimensions💡 In 2014 the IEC released a mobile app for voters aimed at providing voter verification, election updates and registration details among other information. However, upon review of its compliance with the IEC’s privacy policy, researchers demonstrate numerous data privacy and security concerns. Their research paper, recently published in the African Journal for Information and Communication and forming part of RIA's #JustAI work, unpacks its weaknesses. Analysis of the app’s APK files, permissions, third-party trackers, and other vulnerabilities including API (application programming interface) revealed the following: - Inadequately secured API keys - Potential for unauthorised access - Potential for data breaches - Susceptibility to analytics trackers that suggested third-party data-sharing Read more here 🔗 > https://bit.ly/4hdarLM Authors: Scott Timcke and Nawal Omar #DataPrivacy #DataGovernance IEC (Electoral Commission of South Africa) University of the Witwatersrand International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Sida

OPINION | New frontiers of information manipulation hit voter choice ❎ ✅ "Protecting electoral democracy is no longer just about safeguarding ballot boxes. It is also about preserving the fundamental right of individuals to make conscious, informed choices free from technological manipulation." Authors: Scott Timcke and Michael Hendrickse For more work on this topic, browse through the Resisting Information Disorder in the Global South Project, as part of our Information Integrity Programme: 🖇️ https://bit.ly/3C3xhXf #Elections #InfoIntegrity IEC (Electoral Commission of South Africa)

Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting a working paper for the Research ICT Africa #JustAI project, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D). The paper dives into the profound implications of AI for children in Africa, a continent marked by both immense potential and complex challenges. AI can transform education, entertainment, and communication for children across Africa, providing unprecedented access to knowledge, resources, and global networks. In education, AI-powered platforms can bridge gaps in remote areas, offering personalised learning tools and virtual tutors, overcoming barriers like teacher shortages and lack of infrastructure. In entertainment, AI enables new forms of creative engagement, from smart toys to immersive gaming and social media experiences. However, as we harness the power of AI, we must also acknowledge its risks, especially for children, who are particularly vulnerable in the context of Africa's socio-economic disparities, historical legacies, and digital transformation. AI technologies often come with inherent biases, and if designed without consideration for African cultures and languages, they risk misrepresenting or sidelining the needs and rights of African children. More concerning, the extractive nature of AI development, especially through resource exploitation and data harvesting, mirrors colonial-era dynamics. As AI continues to evolve, we must ensure it is developed and deployed responsibly, prioritising the holistic health and well-being of African children. This includes addressing holistic health and well-being dimensions of their lives, especially considering the unique challenges faced by African children, such as conflict, poverty, and trauma. Furthermore, we must mitigate risks like exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and exploitation, risks that are exacerbated by AI-powered platforms in entertainment, education, and communication. This paper highlights the current landscape of AI usage in education, social media, online gaming, and smart toys in Africa, and explores the associated risks to children’s development. We also examine the emerging policies across African nations to regulate AI and the gaps that need to be addressed to protect children’s rights in an increasingly digital world. The future of AI in Africa should not only be about opportunity but also about responsibility, ensuring that AI serves to empower, rather than exploit, the children of this continent. Watch this space for the upcoming publication of the paper! #JustAIkids #AI #Africa #ChildRights #DigitalTransformation #AIForGood #PolicyDevelopment #AIEthics #InclusiveAI

At the 19th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, themed “Building Our Multistakeholder Future,” Research ICT Africa organised a session titled “Gender Inequality in Meaningful Access in the Global South” under the subtheme “Advancing Human Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age.” I had the privilege to present evidence from Africa informed by data from Research ICT Africa’s After Access project. Joined by esteemed speakers Martin Schaaper, Claire Sibthorpe, and Fabio Senne, the session explored the digital gender divide in the Global South, sharing critical data and discussing necessary policy interventions to ensure that women equally benefit from digitalisation. Key takeaways from the session: -Innovative data collection and analysis methods are crucial to tackling complex challenges in a rapidly evolving digital landscape shaped by AI. -A robust multi-stakeholder ecosystem is essential for monitoring and addressing emerging trends. -The gender gap in mobile internet adoption persists, with significant regional disparities. -While internet access gaps between men and women are narrowing, men still have more access—gaps are particularly pronounced in countries with low overall internet access. Key recommendations: ✅ Prioritise gender equality and set measurable targets to reach women. ✅ Enhance the availability and quality of gender-disaggregated data on mobile access, use, and barriers. ✅ Develop solutions that explicitly address women’s unique needs and challenges. ✅ Build collaborations and partnerships across stakeholders to drive meaningful change. It was an honour to facilitate this critical discussion, and I am deeply grateful for the engaging perspectives shared. Let’s continue to work towards bridging the digital gender divide and advancing inclusion in the digital age. #DigitalInclusion #GenderEquality #IGF2024 #ResearchICTAfrica #GlobalSouth

Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting a working paper for the Research ICT Africa #JustAI project, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D). The paper dives into the profound implications of AI for children in Africa, a continent marked by both immense potential and complex challenges. AI can transform education, entertainment, and communication for children across Africa, providing unprecedented access to knowledge, resources, and global networks. In education, AI-powered platforms can bridge gaps in remote areas, offering personalised learning tools and virtual tutors, overcoming barriers like teacher shortages and lack of infrastructure. In entertainment, AI enables new forms of creative engagement, from smart toys to immersive gaming and social media experiences. However, as we harness the power of AI, we must also acknowledge its risks, especially for children, who are particularly vulnerable in the context of Africa's socio-economic disparities, historical legacies, and digital transformation. AI technologies often come with inherent biases, and if designed without consideration for African cultures and languages, they risk misrepresenting or sidelining the needs and rights of African children. More concerning, the extractive nature of AI development, especially through resource exploitation and data harvesting, mirrors colonial-era dynamics. As AI continues to evolve, we must ensure it is developed and deployed responsibly, prioritising the holistic health and well-being of African children. This includes addressing holistic health and well-being dimensions of their lives, especially considering the unique challenges faced by African children, such as conflict, poverty, and trauma. Furthermore, we must mitigate risks like exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and exploitation, risks that are exacerbated by AI-powered platforms in entertainment, education, and communication. This paper highlights the current landscape of AI usage in education, social media, online gaming, and smart toys in Africa, and explores the associated risks to children’s development. We also examine the emerging policies across African nations to regulate AI and the gaps that need to be addressed to protect children’s rights in an increasingly digital world. The future of AI in Africa should not only be about opportunity but also about responsibility, ensuring that AI serves to empower, rather than exploit, the children of this continent. Watch this space for the upcoming publication of the paper! #JustAIkids #AI #Africa #ChildRights #DigitalTransformation #AIForGood #PolicyDevelopment #AIEthics #InclusiveAI

I was thrilled to participate in a roundtable discussion organised by the Atlantic Council, where I had the opportunity to talk about how Africa navigates the geopolitics of AI. My talk touched on a strategic dialogue examining Africa's geopolitical position, its challenges in the global AI technological and political landscape, protecting African technological interests, access vs sovereignty and balancing AI progression with ethical and regulatory considerations for Africa. The workshop also consisted of a site visit to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and an insightful presentation by Microsoft where they shared the work they’ve been doing in Africa to promote responsible AI. The highlight of the three day workshop was connecting with so many passionate colleagues across Africa, making it one of the most enjoyable workshops I’ve attended in a while! Dr. Makaziwe Makamba, Bashira Hassan, PMP, Dr Jorjoh Ndure-Tambedou, PhD, Thoko Miya, Emsie Erastus, and Loise M..

EVENT | Internet Governance Forum 2024 | Lightning Talk #14 AI and Children in Africa: Key Concerns and Policy Insights ⚡ 🕓 18 December, 16:30 - 17:00 GMT+03 // 18:30 - 19:00 SAST 📍 Hybrid, Online: https://lnkd.in/dT2wp47b With AI becoming an integral part of children's lives, RIA Researchers Zara Schroeder, Diana Nyakundi, Jamie Ann Fuller & Jackie Akello will be responding to the subtheme 'Advancing human rights and inclusion in the digital age' by discussing key concerns and policy gaps on AI and Children. Looking at new forms of AI-driven children’s play and entertainment — including smart toys, online games and social media — this discussion will shed light on children's interaction with algorithms, their immersion into the digital world, and the protections that should be in place to ensure their safety, security, and privacy. Researchers will similarly reflect on platforms' effects on children’s health and development. This session will provide guiding principles and policies to consider when designing, developing and deploying AI-enabled tools that children interact with. To find out more, click the link below: #IGF2024 #MSHDigitalFuture https://lnkd.in/dA-fYgrA

EVENT | Internet Governance Forum 2024 | Workshop #225 Gender Inequality in Meaningful Access in the Global South 🧑🧑🧒🧒 🕓 18 December, 14:30 - 16:00 GMT+03 // 16:30 - 18:30 SAST 📍 Hybrid, Online: https://lnkd.in/dsGtxV_a Demand-side data shows that in addition to significant gender digital access gaps in the Global South, once online, women face heightened barriers to using the internet for purposes associated with economic benefits. Presenting data on digital access and use, RIA Researcher and After Access Economist Relebohile Mariti will evidence large gender inequalities in digital use cases, which are often limited to social media and entertainment applications. The panel discussion featuring key experts on the policy interventions needed to ensure women are equally able to benefit from digitalisation, is moderated by International Telecommunication Union's Martin Schaaper and After Access lead Andrew Partridge. It is envisioned that this will result in a set of key actions, which will allow more meaningful female participation in the digital economy. To hear the answers and find out more about the session, click the link below: https://lnkd.in/dhCWXj8m #IGF2024 #MSHDigitalFuture