Leeds Beckett Univeristy, United Kingdom

The agenda of the AI Dialogue must consider two important contexts which are cybersecurity and the need to contextualise regional realities especially, for regions like Africa. In the context of the AI Dialogue, discussions that pertain to AI governance in Africa must be approached as both a cybersecurity imperative and a developmental priority, rather than a purely technological or regulatory issue. In summary, success lies in fostering an inclusive, security-conscious, and regionally sensitive approach. The first Global Dialogue on AI Governance would be a success if it achieves the following outcomes, particularly when addressing regional contexts like Africa: Integration of Cybersecurity in AI Governance: AI governance discussions must place cybersecurity at the forefront. In many African nations, where cybersecurity frameworks are still maturing, AI-specific cybersecurity safeguards are crucial. Contextualization of Regional Realities: the Dialogue must consider regional contexts, especially for developing regions like Africa. So, engaging African stakeholders in this dialogue will ensure a continuous agenda tailored to geographical and local realities. Inclusion of African Academia: The dialogue would also be a success if it prioritizes the inclusion of African academics with expertise in AI policy, law, and technology. African scholars are crucial in providing research relevant insights that reflect the realities of the continent, especially as the Dialogue commences. This will portray a more balanced and inclusive approach which is sensitive to the needs and perspectives of the Global South. Data Sovereignty and Governance: A key issue for African states is the control and ownership of data. AI systems rely heavily on data, but much of Africa's data infrastructure is externally controlled. The dialogue must engage with issues of data sovereignty. Capacity-Building and Local Expertise: A successful dialogue would prioritize capacity-building initiatives and discuss how global AI governance will be culturally relevant.

• AI capacity-building
• Social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic and technical implications of AI
• Protection and promotion of human rights
• Safe, secure and trustworthy AI

AI holds significant promise across African contexts, but its deployment raises important societal and cultural considerations. These include the risk of algorithmic bias, as well as the potential erosion of linguistic and cultural diversity in digital spaces. There is also the risk of deepening global inequalities, particularly where African states remain primarily consumers rather than producers of AI technologies. The question of capacity remains central. Many African states face constraints in relation to technical expertise, infrastructure, and regulatory capacity. These directly affect their ability to participate meaningfully in AI development and governance. The Malabo Convention provide a foundation upon which AI-related capacity-building efforts can be anchored. Capacity-building should also include research development and knowledge production, ensuring that African scholars are active contributors to the global AI discourse. AI both strengthens and complicates cybersecurity: it enhances defensive capabilities while simultaneously enabling more sophisticated forms of cyberattack, including automated and adaptive threats. AI governance must remain firmly grounded in international human rights law. In 2025 the Commission developed a 'Study on Human and Peoples' Rights and Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Other New and Emerging Technologies in Africa'. With the extant approach to rule of law by African Governments where human rights of citizens are not seemingly prioritised, AI systems must be explainable and subject to oversight, with clear mechanisms for redress where harms occur. Human oversight should be treated as a substantive safeguard against the unchecked use of powers by African governments, and their complicity with Tech companies when it comes to delegation of decision-making to automated systems. This is elucidated by African Professor of Law and Technology- Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo in her Harvard University paper- 'Technology Dependence & Racial Inequality: Theorizing "Design Thinking" on Human Rights'- Carr Center Discussion Paper Series | 2023-04. Technology Dependence & Racial Inequality | Harvard Kennedy School

AI governance in Africa must be approached as both a cybersecurity imperative and a developmental priority, rather than a purely technological or regulatory issue. As AI systems become embedded in critical infrastructure, financial systems, and public administration, vulnerabilities in these systems pose direct risks to national security, economic stability, and public trust. A central concern is the expansion of the cyber threat landscape in the Region. In many African states, where cybersecurity systems are still maturing, this asymmetry of divergent realties risks widening existing capability gaps between attackers and defenders. In many of the fifty-five African Union (AU) Member States where cybersecurity capacity is still developing, this creates an uneven playing field. Governance frameworks do not integrate AI-specific cybersecurity safeguards. AI governance, when viewed from an African perspective, must be understood as a question of security, sovereignty, and sustainable development, deeply intertwined with existing structural and institutional realities across the continent. Existing continental instruments, such as the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) provide an important regional normative foundation, however, its uneven domestication highlights a broader challenge of fragmentation and capacity constraints. Equally important in the African region is the question of data governance. AI systems are fundamentally dependent on data, yet the infrastructures through which data is collected, stored, and processed in Africa are often externally owned or controlled. This raises important concerns not only about privacy and protection, but also about control, access, and the equitable distribution of value. Capacity remains a defining constraint. The development and enforcement of AI governance frameworks require not only technical expertise but also robust institutions and informed policymakers. Without sustained investment in these areas, there is a real risk that governance models will be either under-implemented or externally imposed, with limited sensitivity to African socio-legal contexts.

The AI Dialogue can serve as a forum for advancing multilateral cooperation on AI governance, offering a space for the development of coherent, inclusive, and context-sensitive frameworks that integrate regional needs and promote international security. Facilitating International Cybersecurity Collaboration: The Dialogue can offer a platform for the harmonization of cybersecurity standards across jurisdictions, promoting the development of AI systems that are secure, resilient, and interoperable. By bringing together experts from different legal, regulatory, and technical domains, the Dialogue can help cultivate a common understanding of AI-specific risks and lay the groundwork for international treaties or agreements that address these challenges in a coordinated manner. Contextualizing AI Governance to Regional Realities: Effective AI governance must account for regional disparities in technological development, security capacity, and socio-economic needs. In the African context, for example, the Dialogue should underscore that AI governance is not merely a regulatory issue but a developmental priority intertwined with questions of sovereignty, data governance, and cybersecurity. Promoting Capacity-Building: The Dialogue can serve as a catalyst for capacity-building, encouraging global cooperation to enhance legal, technical, and policy expertise in developing countries. By facilitating knowledge transfer, supporting research collaborations, and fostering institutional partnerships, the Dialogue can contribute to closing the expertise gap. Advancing Inclusive Governance Models: The Dialogue should prioritize inclusive participation from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including academics, civil society, policymakers, and the private sector. Particularly for developing regions, the inclusion of African scholars and experts is essential to ensure that governance frameworks are not only normatively sound but also practically applicable within diverse legal and cultural contexts.

In the African context, several existing initiatives, partnerships, and mechanisms offer a solid foundation upon which the AI Dialogue can build, ensuring that African priorities are effectively integrated into global AI governance discussions. Key initiatives include: 1. The African Union (AU) Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention): The AI Dialogue should align with the Malabo Convention's objectives, ensuring that AI governance frameworks address cybersecurity risks, data sovereignty, and digital rights as critical components of AI systems in Africa. 2. The Technology, Innovation and Governance Research Group of the Leeds Beckett University Law School. Leeds Beckett University has also undertaken significant research projects on ICT security in Africa. Notably, these include: • The development of a framework for ICTs in peace and security in Africa, addressing the role of digital technologies in conflict prevention and regional stability; and • A cybercrime deterrence policy framework, aimed at strengthening legal and institutional responses to cyber threats across African jurisdictions. These projects are detailed at Technology, Innovation and Global Law research group | Research | Leeds Beckett University A professor of the University serves as Technical Advisor for the African Union Advisory Group on AI in the Context of Peace, Security and Governance. 3. The Common African Position on the Application of International Law to the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in the Cyberspace adopted in 2024. 4. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights 'Study on Human and Peoples' Rights and Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Other New and Emerging Technologies in Africa' 2025. The AI Dialogue can serve as a platform for integration, bringing together these regional initiatives with global AI governance efforts. Its added value lies in ensuring that African perspectives and needs are not sidelined in the global conversation, promoting inclusive, regionally contextualized AI governance.

Academia and Researchers are particularly important. Academic institutions, particularly from Africa and in Africa, can offer evidence-based research, policy analysis, and ethical considerations on AI deployment. African scholars, in particular, bring context-specific knowledge regarding data sovereignty, regional development needs, and AI's implications on governance. Universities and research institutions should also lead capacity-building efforts and provide platforms for knowledge exchange across regions. Recommendations for the Format and Structure of the AI Dialogue: Apart from regular plenary sessions, the AI Dialogue can consider distinct regular bi-yearly Multi-Stakeholder Panels and Workshops which would allow structured discussions that allow stakeholders from governments, academia, the private sector, and civil society to engage in real-time problem-solving and share knowledge. The Dialogue should also allow for Thematic Regional Sessions. This could be organised quarterly and should focus on regional realities. The meetings should be held in specific regions.

From an African perspective, several voices, communities, and perspectives remain significantly underrepresented in global discussions on AI governance. These include: African Scholars and Academics: While the global AI discourse often includes experts from developed countries, African scholars, particularly those with expertise in AI policy, law, cybersecurity, and technology ethics, have limited representation. African academics bring invaluable context on how AI will interact with the continent's unique socio-economic challenges, such as data sovereignty, cybersecurity, and digital inequality. Their voices are essential to shape AI governance frameworks that are not merely theoretical but contextually applicable to the African continent. Marginalized Communities: Indigenous groups, rural populations, and underserved communities in Africa are rarely consulted in AI governance discussions, despite the fact that AI's impacts on privacy, social equity, and access to technology will be felt most acutely by them. These communities often face challenges in digital inclusion. Women and Youth in Technology: In Africa, women and young people represent a substantial yet underutilized talent pool in AI and tech sectors. Their perspectives, particularly around inclusive AI development, gender equality, and youth empowerment, are vital to ensuring that AI governance frameworks reflect the diverse needs of the continent's population. Approaches to inclusion of these groups to consider for the Dialogue should be by engaging regional institutions like the African Union, national governments, and academic networks. They should be leveraged to engage African scholars and policymakers in AI governance discussions. It is also importnat to create inclusive platforms for marginalized communities. Initiatives should be launched to consult and incorporate the views of marginalized communities, particularly through community-based dialogues and digital platforms that facilitate their participation in AI discussions.

Regional Sessions: Hosting regional-focused workshops or breakout groups would enable participants to delve deeply into the unique challenges and opportunities specific to regions like Africa. These smaller, focused discussions can provide a platform for local experts, academics, and policymakers to share insights and collaborate on region-specific solutions. Interactive, Digital Collaboration Platforms: Utilizing virtual platforms with interactive features such as live polls, Q&A sessions, and collaborative brainstorming tools can help ensure that all stakeholders, particularly those from marginalized regions or remote areas, have a chance to contribute. These platforms can also provide real-time translation services to facilitate participation from non-English speaking African countries, ensuring the inclusivity of the dialogue. Expert-Led Roundtables: Organizing roundtable discussions with experts and practitioners from diverse sectors such as AI, law, cybersecurity, and human rights can encourage focused, knowledge-sharing exchanges.

The African Union's Continental AI Strategy, adopted in July 2024. This strategy is a comprehensive framework designed to guide the development and governance of AI across the continent. The AI Dialogue can build on this strategy by aligning global governance discussions with Africa's unique needs. Another vital initiative is the African Union's Data Policy Framework, which supports data sovereignty and governance across African nations. This framework emphasizes the control of local data by African countries, promoting the creation of data infrastructures and enabling data sharing in a secure, transparent manner. The Malabo Convention serves as the continent's foundational framework for addressing cybersecurity and data protection. It can provide a strong policy foundation for the governance of AI technologies by focusing on data privacy, cybersecurity standards, and personal data protection, which are critical to AI systems. The Smart Africa Alliance is an important platform that aims to drive digital transformation across the African continent. National AI Policies. Countries like South Africa, Ghana, Mauritius and Kenya have taken significant steps toward AI governance by developing national AI strategies. Leeds Beckett University Law School's Technology, Innovation and Governance Research Group plays a pivotal role in advancing ICT security and AI governance within the African context. The Group has undertaken groundbreaking research projects that directly address the unique challenges of digital technologies in Africa, particularly in the realms of peace and security and cybersecurity governance. One of the notable projects is the development of a framework for ICTs in peace and security in Africa. A professor from Leeds Beckett University also serves as a Technical Advisor for the African Union Advisory Group on AI in the Context of Peace, Security, and Governance, further strengthening the university's engagement with AI governance in Africa.