The report examines the extent to which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being adopted to aid a Just Energy Transition in Africa. Although still in its early stages, the use of AI in the renewable energy sector globally shows great potential, especially for regions with energy shortages. But for AI to be fully adopted and used in the Just Energy Transition in Africa, certain preconditions need to be met, as Africa is a continent with energy deficits, and AI usage requires high energy consumption, posing significant challenges to developing countries with limited infrastructural resources.
This paper argues that for Africa to benefit from AI in the Just Energy Transition, Just AI principles need to be adopted and used across the entire value chain. To build a more equitable and sustainable continent using AI, these principles must urgently be built into AI and energy transition implementation plans. Without this, AI could become the latest technology for extracting value from Africa, benefiting the Global North more than the peoples of Africa.
This piece calls for certain enabling conditions to be put in place before attempting to deploy AI in the renewable energy sector, including but not limited to:
- Robust infrastructure development;
- AI training and ICT skills development for students and professionals;
- Supportive policies and regulatory frameworks to enable cross-border collaboration and resource exchange, including for data; and
- Significant public and private investment and financing.
