Gideon Chitanga is a Political and International Relations Analyst.
The World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) could enhance global AI coordination and governance in ways that ensure the Global South and Africa are not left behind.
As major powers define the frontier of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a technology poised to reshape societies, economies, and security around the world, African countries and much of the Global South find themselves on the cusp of new opportunities for global civilisation and uncharted challenges.
Africa is underrepresented in global AI as it does not produce its own AI technologies and tools. The continent, which represents 20% of the global population, currently accounts for just 2.5% of the global AI market and around 5% of the global AI workforce.
Despite the growing adoption of AI tools by tech-prenuers, the continent and much of the Global South face many barriers ranging from high costs, lack of, or uneven policy adoption, and general marginalisation from technological production.
