The story of economic growth is a testament to a much bigger one, that of human continuity. It is a story that goes back to the 19th century, to the steam engine and the factories that worked day and night. This image of development, however, is long overdue.

The First Industrial Revolution was the start of it all, and today, the world is witnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge, and Observatories

In the last few years, AI has evolved to establish itself as one of the major players in the global arena, projecting a lasting influence both economically and socially (Eke et.al, 2023). According to Forbes, the AI market is projected to reach the $407 billion mark by 2027, almost five times its estimated $86.9 revenue in 2022 (Haan,2024). Unlike the factories of the first Industrial Revolution or even its fast-moving trains, AI is intangible which makes it an object of fascination and unfathomable potential.

In order to harness this new force, it must be understood and molded to experiences and contexts. This is what makes educational and knowledge initiatives more impactful and needed than ever. In the past 5 years, AI Observatories have been establishing themselves as a staple in the educational space globally and regionally. In 2019, countries of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) came together to establish the OECD AI Policy Observatory.

The OECD AI Observatory was the first of its kind and scale, yet it was targeting a specific group of countries, most of which are economically developed. This left a gap for both, the least economically developed countries as well as the developing ones. In 2022, the African Observatory on Responsible Artificial Intelligence came to light, opening up the space for learning and building an African narrative for the use of AI and contextualizing the wave of socioeconomic change it will bring about.

The MENA Observatory on Responsible AI

In February 2024, right around the corner of the School of Business at the American University in Cairo (AUC), the MENA Observatory on Responsible AI was born. The observatory was established by the Access to Knowledge for Development Center (A2K4D) with the purpose of connecting policy-oriented researchers and innovators working on responsible AI. The observatory was created through a three-way collaboration between A2K4D, the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC), and Birzeit University in Palestine.

Originally, the project was the brainchild of the “data revolution” carried out by A2K4D in 2015, a practice of looking in depth at open data for the purpose of development, issues related to data practices, and AI practices. From this “revolution”, the MENA Data Platform was born; it is the parent project of the current Observatory. On July 23, the Observatory held its first collaborative webinar with the African Observatory titled, “Responsible AI in the Global South: Narratives from the Middle East and Africa.”

The webinar fostered a discussion between key representatives of AI-based initiatives in the continent including Nagla Rizk, founder of A2KD and a professor of Economics at AUC, Rachel Adams, Founder and CEO of the Global Center on AI Governance, Sally Radwan, Chief Digital Officer at the UN Environment Programme, Faragani Tambeayuk, Director of Public Policy, Francophone Africa, and Head of Connectivity and Innovation Policy, Africa at Meta, and Tonee Ndungu, Executive Director at the Kenyan Kytabu Foundation.

“For me it is AI for everyone, and this is important in our region, for everyone to see how AI affects their lives and the need towards governing responsible AI,” says Rizk at the end of her opening presentation, summarizing the motivation behind creating AI observatories particularly in the context of Africa.

Responsible AI in an African Context

As a natural part of understanding AI in the context of the African continent, the rise of ethical questions becomes inevitable. In fact, most observatories focus on the ethical implications of the use of AI, improving knowledge in order to reach the most balanced application of the technology. The idea of ethics in itself may seem generalizable, however, ethics are meant to be defined according to the context and the value system they exist in (Eke et.al, 2023). With the OECD Observatory and the initial rise of AI, the ethical background was arguably based on the specific context and the value system of countries in the Global North. Therefore, it is crucial to unify a definition for ethics that would suit the multifaceted context of Africa, rather than deny the continent of its narrative by applying the existing model of thought.

Furthermore, creating a unified definition for responsible AI in the continental context would ultimately lead to unified policy solutions given that all efforts would be directed towards the same goal. Radwan suggests highlights this sentiment saying,

There sometimes tends to be a discrepancy or inequality in representation of different countries and different types of initiatives based on resources based on engagement especially in our countries where things are a little bit dependent on people rather than institutions.

Additionally, finding the right contextualized way to define the ethics of AI not only allows the observatory to reach its goal, but it also it to reach its target audience best; Radwan adds that it is important to “tailor the experience [of the observatory and the data it provides] to the different target audiences to achieve [what is really needed].”

How are Observatories Important in Preparing for an AI-led Economy?

“The future of AI governance lies in collaborative approach it is really essential because
it ensures that AI Technologies are developed and deployed inclusively transparently and beneficially to all segments or for all segments of society,” emphasizes Tambeayuk with regards to the importance of collaboration in order to maximize the benefit that comes from AI as well as the data made available.

Both Rizk and Adams highlighted that the main purpose behind both the African and MENA observatories is providing an accessible space where research, expertise, and knowledge could be shared, allowing African and Middle Eastern countries to advance in their respective goals towards responsible AI. Observatories are productive spaces; in order to make them reach their optimal capacity, collaboration is key not only because it allows different angles to be explored, but it also expands the target audience that could benefit from the unlocked information.

“The importance of multistakeholderism in AI governance cannot be overstated and working together can harness AI’s full potential to drive innovation and economic growth,” expands Tambeayuk on the opportunity that could rise from collaboration. Additionally, he highlights that creating a diverse ecosystem of AI exploration and productivity could foster new opportunities such as job creation as well as serve as an impetus for entrepreneurial activity. This way, African and Middle Eastern countries can eventually position themselves as leaders within the AI transition.

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) 46 million children across Eastern and Southern Africa do not have access to schools (UNICEF,2023). This statistic suggests that there is immense lost potential within the content which also hosts the youngest population in the world. The uneducated youth will be unable to participate in the transition towards AI or any other processes of economic growth, but observatories like the MENA and African observatories can change this.

“There will be countries coming to the continent looking for workers because we are the youngest continent and by 2050 will be the largest middle class in the world,” says Ndungu highlighting the golden opportunity that education could provide by preparing the young population of Africa to seize employment opportunities that will increase in the future global due to the rise of new fields but also the fact that both Europe and Asia have aging populations. Ndungu, who is the executive director of a Kenyan AI education startup named “Kytabu” suggests that the key to achieving AI governance is to make sure policy is being applied, that there is collaboration between theory and practice.

Overall, observatories can provide a great opportunity for impact through making knowledge more accessible as well as providing safe, diverse, and open spaces for research and sharing of knowledge. Both observatories could be utilized efficiently to provide a helping hand towards a better regional and continental exploration and understanding of AI that could pave the way for a better preparation and participation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the AI Revolution.

Watch Full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/live/-TCUoG204XE