Research ICT Africa

The session will answer the question: Can data governance practices in #DPI support innovation and inclusive development, or will they reinforce extractivism and inequality?

SEMINAR | Towards an Integrated Data Governance Framework for DPI The ICRIER Community of Practice for Digital Public Infrastructure for Development gathers today for its 11th seminar. #DPI #T20 #datagovernance

Using IP as a key subject of inquiry to assess economic justice & in AI governance in Africa, the paper calls for IP legal reforms that can address the specific needs of African countries, balancing IP monopolies with public-interest considerations. Author: @Andrew_Rens

POLICY PAPER | Intellectual property policy for Just AI in Africa 💡bit.ly/45ObcH3 IP & AI present challenges that test underlying assumptions of authorship, creativity & innovation. This paper examines AI's implications on copyright, patents & trade secrets. #JustAI

PAPER | Exploring the effects of limited African feminist narratives in the development and application of AI algorithms in Africa: The role of feminist AI and Afro-feminism ♀️ Read the full paper to see how Afro-feminist views can reshape AI design 🖇️ bit.ly/44Xtczv

NEWS | RIA joins leading foresight cohort 🖇️ bit.ly/3J88J2A ED Pria Chetty’s abstract, titled “Foresight-Driven Data Governance for Equitable Development,” has been selected for inclusion in the Africa Foresight Network (AFN)’s Working Paper Series.

PAPER | Misinformation during the 2022 Kenya general elections  🗳️ Read it here 🖇️ bit.ly/44Xtczv Yusria Khalid utilises computational social science to unpack AI and electoral integrity in her paper presented at the Just AI Conference hosted by RIA in 2024. #JustAI

ESSAYS | Embodied Data and AI Read it here 🖇️ bit.ly/3Hlyo7h These essays use an 'embodiment' lens & #JustAI framework to redress asymmetrical power relations that dispossess people of both their data and agency in dominant governance approaches.

@ScottTimcke @IDRC_CRDI @FCDOGovUK Recommendations: - Stronger protections for data rights against AI-enabled threats. - Revisions to the Malabo Convention. - Increased technical capacity in AI security through education/skills development. - Strengthened critical infrastructure protection.

@ScottTimcke @IDRC_CRDI @FCDOGovUK He writes, “The financial impact of cybercrime in Africa was estimated to be over USD 4 billion in 2021, which is around 10% of the continent’s total GDP... The problem has only worsened since then, increasing in scope, impact and complexity (Interpol 2024)."

POLICY BRIEF | AI security risk in Africa: The interplay of digital infrastructure & economic participation 🖇️bit.ly/4lkP6lg @ScottTimcke explores how weak & uneven digital infrastructure across Africa leaves states vulnerable to a range of AI-powered threats. #JustAI

PAPER | African digital self-determination approach to the design of AI technologies 👤 Read the full paper 🖇️ bit.ly/44Xtczv Nelson Otieno Okeyo examines the Bernard Murage case, assessing the risks to privacy and legitimacy in Africa's AI-powered fintech sector.

PAPER | How can African democracies counter AI-generated propaganda? ⏺️ Read it here 🖇️ bit.ly/44Xtczv Chinasa T. Okolo explores risks, realities and responses to digital platforms in her paper, published in the Just AI Conference Proceedings. #JustAI

RESEARCH | Comparative report on financial inclusion in Africa 🔗bit.ly/4kYJ8X1 Is mobile money aiding financial inclusion in Africa? Comparative findings from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, SA, Tanzania and Uganda show progress.

ENGAGEMENTS | RIA Welcomes Ghana's Tech Policy Fellows 🇬🇭 Last week, a cohort of 14 Tech Policy fellows from the University of Ghana's School of Law visited RIA's Johannesburg offices for a session with Senior Researchers, Roland Banya (Ph.D) and Mpho Moyo.

Despite growth in #Tanzania's mobile phone ownership, smartphone penetration remains low at 19%, and only 23% of the population had achieved internet access in 2022. Read the report to find recommendations on a Digital Inclusion Strategy to close the digital divide.

RESEARCH | Digital Africa post the pandemic: Tanzania Read the latest from the #AfterAccess here 🖇️bit.ly/4mc7eyw

ENGAGEMENTS | Leveraging the G20 & T20 for an African Digital Transformation Agenda With the G20 presidency shifting to the US soon, RIA's work to embed digital inclusion remains critical for Africa's digital future. Read the full overview here 🔗 bit.ly/3IHeFzm

M20 POLICY BRIEF | Power, Politics, and Economics - AI, Africa & the G20 This piece offers recommendations to @G20SouthAfrica regarding the capacitation & recognition of media as AI governance watchdogs. Read the brief here bit.ly/3IIYfpS @MediaMattersZA

ARTICLE | Reflections on AI governance from @AIforGood Summit: Beyond the hype, towards a Just AI future @Priachetty deliberates unresolved tensions in AI governance and offers recommendations for a more just future. Find the recommendations here 🖇️bit.ly/3UehNF8