President William Ruto has called for greater African ownership of artificial intelligence, warning that the rapid expansion of AI should strengthen countries’ ability to shape their own futures rather than create new forms of technological dependency.
Ruto said Africa must move beyond being a consumer of AI technologies developed elsewhere and instead invest in the infrastructure, skills, data, research and enterprises needed to capture a greater share of the value generated by the technology.
The President made the remarks in New York, where he co-chaired a high-level meeting of the AI Middle Powers Coalition alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Ruto said the AI era presented countries with an opportunity to strengthen their technological capabilities through international cooperation while retaining the capacity to develop solutions suited to their own economies and societies.
“The AI era must expand the ability of nations to shape their own future, not create new forms of technological dependency,” Ruto said.
He argued that no country could independently secure all the infrastructure, skills, research capacity and governance systems required to fully participate in the AI economy, making international cooperation necessary.
According to Ruto, Africa’s priority should be to harness its energy resources, data and human talent to build local AI capabilities, enterprises and solutions.
The President said greater African participation in the AI value chain would allow countries on the continent to benefit from the economic opportunities associated with the technology while developing solutions for local challenges.
His remarks come amid growing international discussions on how developing countries can participate more meaningfully in the development and governance of artificial intelligence.
The President of the 81st UN General Assembly has similarly called for inclusive international cooperation on AI governance, warning that many countries remain outside key discussions shaping the technology.
Ruto said Kenya was pursuing the agenda through its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030, which was launched in March 2025.
The strategy focuses on AI digital infrastructure, data, research and innovation, with talent development, governance, investment, ethics and inclusion identified as key enablers.
The government says the strategy is intended to strengthen Kenya’s capacity in AI research and innovation, improve public service delivery, increase productivity and support the development of new enterprises and jobs.
The implementation framework also identifies sectors including agriculture, healthcare, education, security, MSMEs, public service delivery and the creative industry as areas where AI applications can generate economic and social benefits.
Ruto said Kenya’s investments in digital infrastructure, data and AI governance, research, innovation and commercialisation were aimed at strengthening local capacity while ensuring the technology contributes to national development.
Ruto and Stubb’s engagement forms part of Kenya’s broader technology agenda at the 81st UN General Assembly.
Kenya’s Technology Envoy Philip Thigo previously said AI would be a major component of the country’s engagements at the assembly, including efforts to strengthen international cooperation and build national capabilities.