Developing Responsible Artificial Intelligence in Africa: Kenya Policy Centre

About

The East Africa Policy Centre, led by the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) at Strathmore University, is dedicated to advancing responsible AI policy in Eastern Africa. This initiative ensures policymakers have access to high-quality research to support ethical, rights-based, inclusive, and sustainable AI policy decision-making.

CIPIT’s policy research agenda focuses on understanding African AI, fostering inclusive and participatory approaches to AI, and addressing power differentials in AI development and deployment. It emphasizes collaboration among African and global AI stakeholders, integrating AI into broader policy agendas, enhancing gender awareness, and promoting responsible AI adoption by local and regional governments.

As part of the AI4D program, this initiative strengthens Africa’s capacity to design and implement AI policies that reflect the region’s unique needs and aspirations.

General Objective

Inform and shape policies and strategies on Artificial Intelligence to support the adoption of responsible AI on the African continent and ensure African experts have a voice in global fora.

Specific Objectives

• Enhance the capacity of policymakers, technologists and business leaders to take on the challenges of AI, audit their processes and outputs, and create a framework for AI innovation.
• Identify and investigate the societal benefits, risks and harms associated with AI deployment in the pan-African context and offer proposals on pre-empting or mitigating negative effects and maximizing positive outcomes.
• Develop a set of context-appropriate resources on responsible AI for use in digital policymaking, technical and professional training, including policy guidance to navigate the technical, legal, social and ethical challenges of AI-based systems.
• Collaborate with specialists across disciplines to create transdisciplinary research and policy practitioners equipped to inform AI public policy.

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