At this week’s G20 conference on AI in Africa, UNESCO is unveiling a series of new innovative solutions and initiatives to enable the development of artificial intelligence on the continent, while protecting human rights. The Organization plans to train 15,000 civil servants and 5,000 judicial personnel on these issues. “Today, alongside the African Union and the South African presidency of the G20, we are working to put artificial intelligence at the service of Africa. Our goal is to spur endogenous momentum in Africa, by training talent, adapting institutions and responding to African priorities. Only in this way will artificial intelligence meet the real needs of the people,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. In 2018, Audrey Azoulay launched a global initiative to establish an ethical framework for AI, recognizing both its potential for development and the risks it poses to human rights. Since the adoption of this normative text in 2021, UNESCO has engaged with 77 countries, including 29 in Africa, to transpose these principles into their national strategies and public policies. In 2024, the Organization also supported the African Union in developing its continental strategy on artificial intelligence.
