The Importance of Artificial Intelligence to Africa Development Process: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

On a continent that is frequently portrayed in a condition of permanent crisis, development appears to be an impossibility. In fact, observers of African affairs, especially those in the West, cannot feel reassured by recent military takeovers and armed conflicts like those in Sudan and Gabon that Africa is rising—a claim once made by influential figures in world opinion like The New York Times, The Economist, and others. It appears that development is in critical need of an immediate revival. In 2021, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recorded a combined official development assistance (ODA) of USD 185.9 billion, providing context for the scale of international aid efforts. However, the depressing results of development demonstrate the futility of international development. For instance, since 2019, the majority of the nations receiving aid from abroad have seen increases in their rates of poverty, with 50% to 70% of their people living below the poverty line(1,2).