This event, co-hosted with the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy, is part of an initiative for policymakers, business leaders, and academics in the Global South and around the world to meaningfully discuss how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming governance.

The panel discussion seeks to discuss the evolving state of African AI governance and engagement. Precisely in the context of intensifying competition between the US and China, and the growing dependence of African states on Chinese technical artifacts. It asks and aims to address questions like what impedes further African participation in global AI governance frameworks, what are the prospects for enhanced collaboration between African regional bodies,  the US, and others to address shared challenges, and how African nations leverage their agency to negotiate favorable terms with global powers while safeguarding their interests? Accordingly, the panel seeks to bring together regional experts to examine the multifaceted dimensions of AI regulation, seeking to foster more nuanced understandings of the choices of African state and sub-state actors. Thus, please join us for an enriching discussion that centers Global South volition and its  role in this emerging digital inflection point.