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Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda has called on African nations to urgently embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that hesitance driven by regulatory concerns could leave the continent lagging behind in global development.
Speaking during a symposium at the ongoing 57th SADC Plenary Assembly in Victoria Falls, Advocate Mudenda stressed the need for Africa to catch up with the rest of the world in adopting transformative technologies such as AI, regardless of the risks.
“America hasn’t got any piece of legislation (on AI) but you heard it from the presenters that Donald Trump has put in place US$500 billion to improve application of AI, so we here in Africa must move with the times regardless of risks,” said Mudenda.
He added that while developed countries are already investing heavily in AI with or without formal legislation, Africa must do the same to avoid being left behind in its own economic development.
“We must be in reverse gear to be masters of our own economic liberation, we shouldn’t cry foul, time has come for Africa to move forward like any other continent in the world,” he said.
Advocate Mudenda also pointed out that the European Union only enacted AI regulations in 2021, demonstrating that technological advancement is not necessarily stalled by the absence of legal frameworks.
“We are not going to stop the apple of AI, that is the reality of life now whether we like it or not,” he said.
He urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the continent at large to draw inspiration from early African leadership foresight, which highlighted the significance of ICT development as far back as 2013.
“The whole idea of having this symposium was to raise awareness of what is happening in the world and we have to respond as SADC, let alone as Africa,” said Mudenda. “If you read properly, Agenda 2063, which is projecting a 50-year paradigm, you will notice that under the last section of this Agenda 2063, there’s a call to action and among issues that arise as summarised is the question of Africa developing its ICT’s. Our forebears saw this in 2013 and saw it being pushed forward for 50 years from 2063.”
This year’s Plenary Assembly is being held under the theme: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for effective and efficient parliamentary processes in the SADC region: Experiences, challenges and opportunities.”
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