African universities risk falling behind if they fail to adopt formal policies guiding the use of artificial intelligence, experts told Semafor. While AI use is growing among students and faculty, most institutions lack clear frameworks—unlike in the U.S., where nearly 70% of universities have written AI policies, according to a 2023 survey by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
A June study in the journal Digital Government called for clear guidelines to balance generative AI tools with traditional teaching methods. In Kenya, for example, none of the public universities have official AI policies, though some offer AI-related programs.
Caroline Wandiri Mwea, a researcher at Kenyatta University, said the absence of regulation limits productive use of AI. She cited funding challenges as a barrier but stressed that future job readiness will depend on how quickly institutions adopt new technologies.
