UNESCO and the Government of Kenya jointly organized the Eastern Africa sub-Regional Forum on Artificial Intelligence (EARFAI), a platform that brought together hundreds of delegates to discuss and explore the potential of AI in the region, including through the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.
At the heart of this inclusive and collaborative initiative, Ministers from 15 countries collectively addressed the region’s challenges through the lens of AI at the Edge Convention Centre in Nairobi.
Key to EARFAI were discussions on the concrete implementation of the recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the to date only global standard on AI with 193 countries adopting its provisions in 2021. Through the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), almost 60 countries are implementing the standard through a comprehensive diagnostic exercise, of which 22 are from Africa.
Social and Human Sciences Assistant Director-General, Gabriela Ramos headed the UNESCO’s delegation to the Forum, which featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive workshops.
EARFAI will also be the platform for the presentation of Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) reports from the region. The event saw Eastern African private sector representatives joining UNESCO’s Business Council on the Ethics of AI community, and female experts from the region discussing the role of women in AI as part of a session with UNESCO Women4Ethical AI network.
“The Eastern Africa sub-Regional Forum on Artificial Intelligence (EARFAI) serves as a crucial platform to advance good AI governance, based on the work to implement UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, through its Readiness Assessment Methodology, applied to 22 countries in the region, and 5 Eastern African countries, which were represented in the Forum. I congratulate Kenya and East Africa for their leadership in this domain. They can count on us to advance AI that benefit their people and their economies,” said Ramos.
Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UNESCO, Amb. Peter Ngure said Kenya is the gateway to Africa regarding Artificial Intelligence, and the conference discussed a positive path towards life-changing solutions.
KNATCOM-UNESCO CEO Dr James Njogu lauded the Kenyan government for their immense support in staging the event.
“This year’s event follows in the footsteps of major global AI events. We deeply appreciate the steadfast support of the Government of Kenya in making this year’s event a reality,” expressed Dr Njogu.
UNESCO Regional Office for East Africa Director Alexandros Makarigakis termed the event a key milestone for the sub-Saharan region in Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development in Eastern Africa.
“The conference will be a significant catalyst for cementing Africa’s legacy in matters of AI; the event is a game changer for economic transformation in the region,” said Makarigakis.
EARFAI builds on the foundations established by previous landmark events, including the first UNESCO Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Africa, held in Benguerir, Morocco, in December 2018, and the Southern Africa sub-Regional Forum on Artificial Intelligence (SARFAI), held in Windhoek, Namibia, in September 2022. However, this year’s event featured new elements, such as interactive workshops and a focus on the role of AI in addressing the region’s education challenges.
