African universities risk being left behind if institutions fail to adapt to the growing use of artificial intelligence by students and faculty, experts have warned. The lack of formal policies on AI use in many African universities — despite its growing adoption — is a significant concern, several academics and AI researchers told Semafor.
A national survey by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, conducted late last year, found that 69% of US universities have adopted written policies about the use of generative AI tools in learning and teaching. Many African universities lack similar policies, with the notable exception of several in South Africa.
“The need for robust guidelines that balance technological advances with traditional teaching methods in African universities” is identified in a research paper on GenAI published in June by the interdisciplinary journal Digital Government. None of Kenya’s public universities, for example, have adopted a written AI policy, although some have launched AI-related classes and initiatives.
Caroline Wandiri Mwea, a researcher at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, said the lack of AI policies in many African universities had made it “hard to regulate and guarantee resourceful ways this new technology can be utilized.” Mwea emphasized that many African institutions were grappling with funding challenges that limit their ability to adapt to new technologies including AI. “What will matter in the job market is how fast we embrace new technologies to our benefit,” she said.
