ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, PRIVACY, AND DATA PROTECTION IN AFRICAN SOCIETIES: ETHICAL CHALLENGES AND GOVERNANCE RESPONSES

Abstract

The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across African societies has intensified concerns regarding privacy, data protection, and individual autonomy. AI systems increasingly rely on large-scale data collection, processing, and inference, raising ethical and legal challenges in regions characterized by evolving regulatory frameworks and uneven institutional capacity. This study examines the intersection of AI, privacy, and data protection in African contexts, focusing on stakeholder perceptions, governance gaps, and ethical implications. Employing a mixed-methods design, quantitative survey data were collected from 421 policymakers, AI practitioners, legal experts, and civil society actors across Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania. These data were complemented by qualitative interviews with 29 key stakeholders and secondary analysis of national data protection laws and AI-related policies. Quantitative findings indicate widespread concern about privacy risks associated with AI-driven surveillance, data misuse, and weak enforcement of data protection regulations. Regression analysis shows that perceived regulatory effectiveness significantly predicts trust in AI systems. Qualitative findings reveal tensions between innovation-driven data practices and rights-based privacy protections, alongside challenges of consent, transparency, and cross-border data flows. The study argues that existing data protection frameworks in Africa, while increasingly aligned with global standards, are insufficiently adapted to the distinctive risks posed by AI systems. The paper contributes empirically grounded insights and proposes context-sensitive governance strategies that integrate legal safeguards, ethical principles, and participatory oversight to strengthen privacy protection in African AI ecosystems.