World Economic Forum: AI High On Agenda Of African Leaders

By Semafor Africa

Photos: YouTube Screenshots

Artificial intelligence was high on the agenda for African leaders and business executives attending this year’s World Economic Forum.

Discussions about the continent at Davos have tended to focus on issues like poverty, debt alleviation, and climate finance. But this year there have been markedly more conversations about deploying AI to boost government and business productivity, veteran Africa investor Wale Adeosun of Lagos-based Kuramo Capital told Semafor.

Yet many of those AI discussions haven’t taken place on the major tech panels in the venues along the central Promenade or during the WEF Congress. Instead they are happening in Africa-focused sideline events in hotels. “When people here speak about Africa they often mention AI, but when AI is being discussed Africa is almost never mentioned,” said Landry Signé, author of Realizing Africa’s Potential.

 Yinka Adegoke