AI and the Future of Work in Africa White Paper
It tackles the problem of AI's impact on jobs and economies in Africa for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders, but is incremental as it consolidates existing perspectives without new empirical findings.
This white paper addresses the implications of generative AI for the future of work in Africa, synthesizing discussions from a multidisciplinary workshop to provide insights and recommendations aimed at fostering debate and collaborative action for a dignified work future across the continent.
This white paper is the output of a multidisciplinary workshop in Nairobi (Nov 2023). Led by a cross-organisational team including Microsoft Research, NEPAD, Lelapa AI, and University of Oxford. The workshop brought together diverse thought-leaders from various sectors and backgrounds to discuss the implications of Generative AI for the future of work in Africa. Discussions centred around four key themes: Macroeconomic Impacts; Jobs, Skills and Labour Markets; Workers' Perspectives and Africa-Centris AI Platforms. The white paper provides an overview of the current state and trends of generative AI and its applications in different domains, as well as the challenges and risks associated with its adoption and regulation. It represents a diverse set of perspectives to create a set of insights and recommendations which aim to encourage debate and collaborative action towards creating a dignified future of work for everyone across Africa.