Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries worldwide, but is Africa keeping up or falling behind?
That’s the pressing question raised by James Manyika, Google’s highest-ranking African executive and Senior Vice-President. In a recent address, the Zimbabwe-born tech leader highlighted AI’s immense potential to improve lives across the continent. But he issued a critical warning: Africa must not settle for being just a consumer of global technology.
“We need Africa to develop its innovations,” Manyika urged, cautioning against the continent becoming merely a testing ground for foreign-made AI solutions.
He sees AI as a game-changer for Africa’s most pressing challenges, from food security and education gaps to healthcare access. But for this potential to be realised, African nations must take charge of their technological future. That, he stressed, will require major investments in infrastructure, internet connectivity, and education.
Manyika pointed out that unreliable internet access remains a barrier in many regions, stifling opportunities for local entrepreneurs and researchers to engage in the AI revolution.
Equally crucial is nurturing homegrown talent. “Africans are highly AI-literate,” he noted, but emphasised the need for expanded training in AI-related fields to boost the continent’s innovation capacity.
The rise of AI has sparked fears about job losses. But Manyika believes the impact will be nuanced. While some roles may decline, others will emerge, and the biggest shift will come from AI augmenting existing jobs.
“The greater effect won’t be job elimination, but job transformation,” he explained. “Workers will increasingly collaborate with AI to enhance productivity.”
Though still in its early stages, Africa’s AI ecosystem is already showing promise. Startups and researchers are pioneering AI-driven solutions, from precision farming to disease diagnostics, tailored to local needs.
Yet the critical question remains: Will Africa rise as a global AI leader or stay on the sidelines? For Manyika, the answer hinges on one key factor: building not just the ability to use AI, but the power to create it.
