Forgotten African AI Narratives and the future of AI in Africa

Ancient and contemporary imaginative thoughts, stories, literary works, and beliefs about intelligent machines or otherwise known as AI narratives influence the development, implementation and governance of AI. Responsible AI therefore requires the understanding of these narratives. However, in the global AI narratives discourse, narratives of AI from Africa are missing or are often forgotten. Potentially, this has implications for how AI is or will be designed, deployed and regulated in Africa. This paper presents insights into our understanding of the reasons why Africa’s AI narratives are often missing, the implications this has for the future of AI in Africa, how the situation can be improved and the path to take to achieve responsible AI in Africa. These insights emerged following a workshop organized at Mozilla Festival 2021 and demonstrates the growing need to explore uncovered AI narratives in Africa to ensure better AI outcomes.