Protecting human rights amid the rise of artificial intelligence surveillance in Africa

Artificial intelligence is the use of machines and computer systems to mimic human intelligence processes. In Africa, AI is already being used in domains such as health care, finance, manufacturing, law, transport, military technology and, now, specifically, surveillance technology. It is estimated that at least 14 states have already begun using smart policing and safe city initiatives to monitor their citizens and control criminal behaviour. The adoption of AI surveillance in Africa has been aided by increased investments and infrastructure-building efforts by foreign governments in Asia and Europe. The benefits of AI surveillance, especially in terms of reducing crimes such as terrorism, cannot be underestimated. However, there are concerns that the technology is not being procured or deployed in a transparent manner. Additionally, there are questions about how state actors process, store and use the large amounts of data collected using AI technology. There is growing concern that such data is being processed without legal and/or institutional checks and balances thereby resulting in human rights violations. For instance, there have been reports of AI surveillance being used in countries such as Uganda and Zambia to intercept the communications of political opponents. This article examines the extent of AI surveillance in Africa and its potential to become pervasive in the region, as well as the regulations that have been put in place to protect human rights (and the effectiveness thereof), especially privacy rights. The article argues that the adoption of this revolutionary technology has not been accompanied by the necessary regulatory protections, with potentially negative impacts on fundamental rights. It therefore calls on states to scale up their efforts to ensure that human rights are safeguarded when using AI surveillance.