The 13th R.P. Baffour Memorial Lecture concluded with a strong call for Africa to pursue locally grounded and ethically aligned Artificial Intelligence (AI) development to avoid being left behind in the global technological shift.
Delivering the lecture titled “Superintelligence, Health Equity, and the Imperative for Geo-Contextual AI Development,” Dr. Mercy Nyamewaa Asiedu said AI has the potential to transform key sectors, including health, education, agriculture, and energy. But she warned that if development continues without African participation, the continent could face increased bias and unequal access.
“Africa cannot afford to be just a consumer of AI. If AI models are trained only on Western datasets, they will continue to fail in African and rural contexts. That creates not just bias, but dependency and exclusion,” she said.
Dr. Asiedu said human values vary across cultures and geographies, questioning how Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) would operate fairly. She argued that future AI systems must prioritise universal needs such as healthcare access, food security, electricity, internet connectivity, and disaster response.
“We must build AI that understands our realities,” she said. “Technology must reflect the people it serves.”
She also added that the future of AI must be built on partnership rather than replacement. She explained that while AI holds potential to enhance human capability, it should complement human judgment, creativity, and not render them obsolete. According to her, responsible AI development begins with understanding local needs and cultural contexts, especially in regions like Africa, where challenges differ from Western realities.
“AI must not replace us, but work with us. If we design it wisely and locally, AI can serve humanity, not dominate it.”
To ensure Africa is not left behind in the AI revolution, Dr. Asiedu emphasized several key recommendations. She called for the introduction of AI awareness and literacy in primary schools, as well as the integration of AI skills into vocational and technical training to prepare future generations. She also stressed the need for investment in local computing infrastructure, the collection of regionally relevant datasets, and funding for AI research tailored to African contexts.