As African countries accelerate digital transformation, cybersecurity has become a central concern, not only for national security, but also for economic development and participation in the global digital economy. This Just AI policy brief by Dr Scott Timcke explores how weak and uneven digital infrastructure across Africa leaves states vulnerable to a range of AI-powered threats, including attacks on critical infrastructure, surveillance overreach, and AI-enabled misinformation campaigns.
Drawing on new research, the brief examines the growing use of AI technologies in African public and private sectors, and the associated security risks that disproportionately affect countries with limited technical capacity and fragmented regulatory frameworks. It outlines how the lack of robust cybersecurity measures undermines cross-border trade, digital investment, and democratic governance.
The policy brief calls for a coordinated continental approach to AI security governance that strengthens institutional capacity, revises regional treaties like the Malabo Convention to address AI-specific threats, and places rights protection at the heart of cybersecurity policy.
