ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND DIGITAL SOCIETIES IN AFRICA: ETHICAL CHALLENGES AND GOVERNANCE IMPERATIVES

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly shaping digital societies across Africa, influencing governance, security, welfare distribution, and civic participation. While AI offers opportunities for development and efficiency, its deployment also raises profound human rights concerns, including threats to privacy, equality, freedom of expression, and due process. This study examines the intersection of AI, human rights, and digital societies in African contexts, focusing on ethical risks, governance gaps, and institutional responses. Employing a mixed-methods approach, quantitative survey data were collected from 437 policymakers, legal practitioners, technologists, and civil society actors across Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania. These data were complemented by qualitative interviews with 31 human rights advocates and regulatory officials, alongside secondary analysis of constitutional provisions, regional human rights instruments, and AI-related policies. Quantitative findings reveal strong concern about AI’s impact on equality, surveillance, and access to remedies, while regression analysis shows that perceived rights protection significantly predicts trust in AI-enabled governance. Qualitative insights highlight risks of automated exclusion, surveillance overreach, and accountability deficits in digital public systems. The study argues that current AI governance approaches in Africa insufficiently integrate human rights principles, resulting in ethical and legal vulnerabilities. The paper advances a rights-based governance framework that embeds human rights impact assessments, institutional accountability, and participatory oversight into African AI ecosystems. These findings contribute to scholarly debates on AI ethics and offer actionable guidance for policymakers seeking to align AI-driven digital transformation with human rights protection.