-Analysis-
Artificial intelligence is a major technological advancement, and as such represents both real opportunities — and real risks. With this technology set to redefine the global job market, African countries are increasingly seeing danger for their economies.
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Africa is experiencing rapid population growth. According to World Bank forecasts, to absorb the massive influx of young people into the labor market in sub-Saharan Africa, around 20 million jobs will need to be created annually by 2035.
But will the introduction of AI make that impossible?
Automated services
Service industries, a key sector for employment in Africa, are gradually becoming automated. Many companies around the world use AI systems to manage customer service, reducing the need for traditional call centers. As a result, as countries like Ghana are just beginning to attract messaging and customer support centers, AI risks short-circuiting this job creation.
For now, Africa lacks sufficient resources and infrastructure.
Africa is already involved in the AI sector, but often at the lowest level of the value chain. For example, Kenyan workers input data to train Western AIs. This work, repetitive and low-value, offers no prospects for advancement and contributes little to sustainable economic development.
The outsourcing of certain AI-related services offers opportunities, but they are mostly temporary. Dependence on these types of jobs exposes African economies to the volatility of the international market, especially when companies decide to bring tasks back home or automate them further.
Serving U.S. and China AIs
Successful economies focus on high-value-added jobs, such as information technology, research and development, or engineering. For now, Africa lacks sufficient resources and infrastructure to position itself in these areas, largely due to the lack of high-level training and structures to develop them.
Beyond the effects on employment, the majority of advanced AI technologies are designed, controlled, and protected by foreign companies — primarily American and Chinese.
This dependency creates risks of vulnerability: countries could be exposed to external pressures, dependent on tariff policies and strategic directions.
Inequalities exacerbated
AI could also exacerbate the inequalities between African economies and those of developed countries, which already have advanced technological infrastructures and easy access to innovations that increase productivity and stimulate growth.
Governments could also encourage businesses to prioritize AI projects that address local needs.
In the face of these challenges, it is essential that African governments implement adapted technological development strategies. This includes investing in education and training in AI and other advanced technologies.
Governments could also encourage businesses to prioritize AI projects that address local needs, such as precision agriculture, access to healthcare, or natural resource management. Such a strategy would offer the continent a chance to reap the benefits of AI while mitigating the risk of negative consequences.
