The European Union is taking steps to strengthen its technological sovereignty, particularly in artificial intelligence, with a focus on semi-conductors, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure. On June 2, 2026, the European Commission unveiled a package aimed at boosting its technological capabilities, including a Chips Act 2.0 and a strategy for open-source technology. This move highlights the growing importance of controlling the underlying infrastructure that enables AI to function.
In contrast, Africa has adopted a continental strategy on artificial intelligence, recognizing its potential to drive economic and social transformation. The African Union's strategy, adopted in 2024, aims to leverage AI for the continent's development. However, the challenge lies in translating this strategy into tangible infrastructure, capacity, and technological ecosystems that can support AI development.
A recent analysis by the Institute for Security Studies emphasizes that Africa's sovereignty in AI depends on four critical components: electricity, computing equipment and data centers, physical infrastructure and cooling systems, and connectivity and data ecosystems. Without these foundational elements, Africa's ability to develop and control AI will remain limited.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also notes that Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, needs to improve its electricity, internet connectivity, and digital skills to harness the benefits of AI. According to the IMF, the region is currently the least prepared for AI, highlighting the need for urgent investment in digital infrastructure.
Experts warn that Africa cannot simply adopt AI technologies without building its own capacity to develop and control them. Rose Mutiso, an economist and specialist in African technology, cautions that AI requires significant physical, institutional, and informational infrastructure, unlike mobile phones, which can be easily adopted.
To achieve technological sovereignty, Africa must invest in data centers, high-performance computing, energy, networks, training, and research. While the continent has made progress in developing initiatives, research, and young enterprises, it must accelerate its efforts to build the necessary foundations for a new digital economy.
The goal for Africa is not to mechanically replicate the European model but to learn from Europe's anticipation and investment in AI infrastructure. Africa's challenge is to determine its place in the AI-driven transformation: as a mere user of technologies developed elsewhere or as an actor capable of producing, controlling, and adapting AI to its own realities.
Key points
- Africa must invest in digital infrastructure, including data centers, high-performance computing, and energy, to support AI development and ensure its technological sovereignty.
