Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming the latest frontier in the competition between the United States and China in Africa, as African countries are set to gain from both AI superpowers’ keen interest in collaboration to advance AI innovation on the continent. However, it also found that China led globally in terms of AI patents with 61.1%, while the US accounted for only 20%. And as a recent article in Voice of America pointed out, the future of AI in Africa will be shaped by the competition between the US and China. “To advance in AI research and innovation, African countries will need significant investments in computing infrastructure,” said Chinasa T. Okolo, a fellow at The Brookings Institution. US companies have already invested in AI in Africa, such as when Google opened its first AI lab in Ghana, while IBM has research facilities in Kenya and South Africa.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 15, 2024 16:18 UTC