BRICS Advocates for an Africa-Focused Artificial Intelligence Vision: Avenues for an African-Centric AI Landscape
In a groundbreaking move, the leaders of the BRICS nations - South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia, among others - have issued a joint declaration aimed at reframing global AI governance, emphasising inclusivity, fairness, and ethical principles. The declaration, unveiled during the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro (July 2025), presents a comprehensive framework aimed at democratising access to AI, strengthening digital sovereignty, and bridging the global technology divide.
At the heart of the BRICS joint declaration is a commitment to democratising access to AI technology. The leaders stress that access must be fair, equitable, empowering, and inclusive, ensuring that all countries, regardless of their economic development stage, can benefit from and develop AI capabilities. This includes support for open-source AI development to enable technology sharing and collaboration.
The declaration also calls for AI governance aligned with national laws, respecting intellectual property rights, and preventing unauthorised data extraction or misuse of protected content. Each country’s digital sovereignty is upheld, with the declaration urging global governance frameworks to respect national sovereignty and regulatory frameworks.
The statement promotes active participation of Global South countries in setting international AI standards and emphasises inclusive digital education to reduce disparities. The aim is to ensure AI governance addresses the needs of all countries, especially developing ones, with fairness in access to digital infrastructure and high-quality data.
The BRICS advocates for a multilateral, UN-led global AI governance system that prioritises fairness, transparency, accountability, and ethical principles. This includes efforts to mitigate algorithmic bias, ensure auditability and safety of AI systems, and maintain public interest through human oversight in automated decision-making.
The declaration highlights the need for AI to promote environmental sustainability and decent work in the digital age. It also commits to combating disinformation and fostering innovation that improves productivity and human welfare while mitigating risks.
Institutional collaboration is a key aspect of the BRICS approach, with the launch of study groups on AI ethics, data sovereignty, and AI’s role in sustainable industrial development. Initiatives under the BRICS Institute of Future Networks and new AI-focused working groups will coordinate South-South cooperation and shared development goals.
The BRICS vision reframes AI as a tool for inclusive progress and shared prosperity, offering an alternative to the race for AI dominance. The statement urges the use of open-source AI to foster innovation at the local level and encourages the development of open-source and resource-efficient AI models.
The declaration identifies AI as a "milestone opportunity" for equitable development but warns that current governance models risk widening existing inequalities, particularly in the Global South. The BRICS bloc criticises the fragmented state of international AI governance and calls for the United Nations to serve as the central forum for setting global AI standards.
The declaration aims to place Africa and other emerging markets at the centre of a more inclusive, equitable, and development-driven technological future. It calls for multilateral development banks to prioritise AI capacity-building across emerging markets and advocates for investment in local AI research, infrastructure, and talent development in Africa.
The statement concludes with a call for a "proactive, common position" on global AI governance, ensuring the meaningful participation of Africa and other developing regions. The BRICS countries welcome collaboration from other nations in their approach to AI governance, emphasising the importance of AI systems being environmentally responsible and promoting climate resilience.
In summary, the BRICS joint declaration envisions an inclusive, fair, and ethically grounded global AI governance model that empowers developing nations, protects intellectual property, ensures digital sovereignty, and narrows the technology gap between nations by fostering cooperation under UN coordination. The declaration's principles aim to create a more equitable and sustainable digital future, prioritising the needs of all nations, especially developing ones.
- The BRICS joint declaration prioritizes democratizing access to AI technology, ensuring fair and equitable distribution of AI capabilities among all countries, regardless of their economic development stage.
- The declaration emphasizes the importance of AI governance that respects national laws, intellectual property rights, and digital sovereignty, while promoting a multilateral, UN-led global AI governance system.
- The statement advocates for inclusivity in digital education to reduce disparities and encourages open-source AI development to foster innovation at the local level, particularly in developing regions such as Africa.
- The BRICS vision for AI governance aims to create a sustainable, equitable, and development-driven technological future, where AI systems are environmentally responsible and promote climate resilience, emphasizing the participation of Africa and other developing regions.
