Artificial Intelligence and Public Service Delivery in Africa

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of humanity’s most outstanding inventions but one of the least understood and utilized in Africa. While other governments have shown practical interest in harnessing the benefits of AI for their populace, African governments appear to be lagging behind in this area of innovation that has the capacity to enhance and boost its delivery of public services to the people. Although some African countries have developed helpful policies on Artificial Intelligence and have also witnessed AI deployments in some sectors of their polity, knowledge of what this technology can contribute to social development remains minimal among the citizenry. This paper provides basic information about artificial intelligence with the goal of stimulating interest in AI-focused knowledge acquisition, research, development and deployment across the African continent. The paper uses the latest (2022) UNIDO Government AI Readiness Index to gauge the degree to which African governments have responded to fast-expanding opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence.