SA lawyers' AI blunder; Nigeria AI market to hit $434M
Africa AI News weekly digest...
Good morning, and welcome to this week’s issue of Africa AI News – Weekly News Digest.
A slow news week, but some noteworthy stories. Our lead story is the hilarious AI-generated case presented by lawyers at a high court in KwaZulu-Natal, dismissed by the judge who called out the legal team for their laziness!
In other news French professional services firm Onepoint will create a new centre of excellence in Morocco; Google commits (or likely recommits!) $37 million to fund research, startups and language tools; and the University of Cape Town is dropping the use of AI content detection tools, because they simply don’t work!
On with this week’s issue!
/Roger
Law
SA lawyers call for rules after AI court blunder
#SouthAfrica #law – A South African legal team in KwaZulu-Natal cited fake AI-generated case law in a High Court appeal, prompting a judge to reject the submission. The judgement stated “lawyers placed false trust in the veracity of AI-generated legal research and, out of laziness, failed to check this research." The incident has triggered calls from lawyers for clear guidelines on responsible AI use in legal proceedings. (DW)
AI Risks
Nigeria’s AI market set to hit $434.4M, but challenges remain
#Nigeria #AIchallenges – AI use is rising across Nigerian agriculture, industry, and services, but stakeholders warn of regulatory, infrastructure, and cost challenges. A new Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) report outlines risks and calls for greater community engagement. Nigeria’s AI market is projected to reach $434.4M by 2026. (The Guardian Nigeria)
AI in African education: Experts warn of cultural erasure
#AIethics #culture – A new UNESCO-backed analysis warns that AI tools in African education risk erasing indigenous knowledge systems and values. Experts urge African governments and institutions to design culturally grounded AI solutions and boost STEM education to avoid digital colonialism. (UNESCO Ideas Lab)
CoEs
Onepoint to open AI centre in Morocco, create 500 jobs
#Morocco #CoEs – French consultancy Onepoint will establish a Data & AI Centre of Excellence in Casablanca-Settat, creating 500 jobs by 2029. Backed by the Moroccan government, the centre will support Industry 4.0 and SME digital transformation, aligning with Morocco’s Digital 2030 strategy. (Middle East AI News)
Funding
Google commits $37 million to boost AI in Africa
#Africa #funding – Google has pledged $37 million to support AI research, startups, and language tools across Africa. The investment includes a $25 million AI food security grant, a startup fund for over 100 ventures, and $3 million to grass roots community Masakhane to build AI tools for 40+ African languages. (Connecting Africa)
Healthcare
Huawei, Egypt to build national health AI centre
#Egypt #healthcare – Egypt’s Healthcare Authority is working with Huawei to establish a national centre for AI in healthcare. The centre will support smart medical cities and green digital transformation. (State Information Service)
SORA deploys drones in 15 African countries to fight malaria
#Africa #malaria – Japanese drone firm SORA will deploy 1,500 AI-powered drones in 15 African countries to identify mosquito breeding sites and spray larvicides. The Larval Source Management model cuts chemical use by 70% and operational costs by 50%. Africa faces 90% of global malaria cases, costing $12B annually. (TechCabal)
AI strategy
Zimbabwe, UNESCO to launch national AI strategy
#Zimbabwe #AIstrategy – Zimbabwe is developing a national AI strategy with UNESCO support, as part of wider cooperation that includes integrating Southern Africa’s liberation history into school curricula. The initiative also aims to empower young researchers and strengthen regional scientific collaboration. (The Herald)
Uganda highlights digital transformation goals at UN forum
#Uganda #digitaltransformation – Uganda showcased its plan to digitally connect 80% of its population by 2030 during a UN forum, presenting its National Digital Transformation Programme. With 75% mobile money penetration, the country aims to expand e-services, support fintech and climate-smart innovation, and attract investment through STI-led development. (UN ECA)
Education
University of Cape Town drops AI detection tools
#SouthAfrica #detection – The University of Cape Town will scrap AI detection tools like Turnitin's AI Score from 1 October, shifting to a new university-wide AI in Education Framework. The policy promotes AI literacy, integrity in assessment, and innovation, amid growing concern over unreliable detection methods.(AllAfrica)
AISOC: Africa’s grassroots AI revolution takes root
#AfricaAI #coding – Born from a Lagos-based AI expert’s frustration with fragmented learning, AI Summer of Code (AISOC) is now a continent-wide program reshaping how African developers learn and apply AI. After a successful first season, AISOC 2.0 is back with specialized tracks and a global faculty, building practical AI skills and an enduring pan-African community. (TechCabal)
Huawei sends top Zambian tech students to China for ICT training
#Zambia #training – Five Zambian students have joined Huawei’s Seeds for the Future programme in China, receiving AI, 5G and cloud training. Since 2015, over 100 Zambians have benefited from the initiative, which has trained 12,000+ students across 137 countries to boost ICT capacity and digital inclusion. (Ministry of Technology and Science Zambia)
[ This newsletter was human dribbled and AI scored]