Harare, (New Ziana) – As Africa races to position itself in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) era, it should ensure its values, cultures and languages are not erased from the future digital ecosystem, an official has said.
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of director general Dr Gift Machengete said this on Monday during the International Telecommunications Union Regional Development Forum for Africa 2026 and the African Preparatory Meeting for the Plenipotentiary Conference of 2026.
He said Africa risks becoming invisible in the global knowledge economy if it does not actively participate in shaping emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital governance.
While technological advancement is inevitable, African nations should ensure innovation reflects the moral values, cultural identity and understanding of humanity, he said.
“In other words, humanity is entering an era where people may one day speak, interact, learn from, and even live alongside synthetic versions of deceased loved ones that appear astonishingly human,” he said.
Dr Machengete said developments in artificial intelligence, robotics, voice cloning and digital memory systems were rapidly transforming what humanity once considered impossible.
He explained that advanced AI systems can already analyze a deceased person’s digital footprint, including voice recordings, videos, photographs, writings and behavioural patterns, before recreating highly sophisticated synthetic beings capable of mimicking human appearance, speech and emotional responses.
“As Africans, however, we must ask ourselves an important question: is this the future we want? Because while technology may make something possible, humanity must still decide whether it is desirable,” he said.
Dr Machengete stressed that Africa can not afford to remain passive consumers of technologies developed elsewhere.
“If Africa does not actively participate in shaping Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, then the future may be designed without African values, African cultures, African spirituality, African languages, and African perspectives,” he said.
He added that technology was never neutral as it always carried the values and philosophies of those who created it.
Africa therefore needs a stronger voice in global conversations on artificial intelligence, digital governance, cybersecurity and data governance in order to influence the direction of innovation, he said.
“We must advocate for a direction that preserves humanity, respects cultural diversity, protects the dignity of human life, and reflects African ethos, African moral values, and African understandings of community, identity, family, and coexistence,” he said.
Dr Machengete also called for African languages to be fully integrated into artificial intelligence systems, saying languages carried the continent’s identity, wisdom and heritage.
“AI systems must speak and understand Kiswahili, isiZulu, Shona, Yoruba, Hausa, Amharic, Arabic, and the many indigenous languages that carry the identity, wisdom, and cultural heritage of our people,” he said.
“A continent whose languages and values are absent from Artificial Intelligence systems risks becoming invisible in the future knowledge economy.”
He said the challenge facing Africa went beyond internet connectivity and infrastructure deployment, but extended to digital sovereignty and economic empowerment.
“The challenge before us today is therefore not simply about connectivity or technology deployment. It is about digital sovereignty,” he said.
Dr Machengete said every fibre network deployed, every tower erected and every young African equipped with digital skills must contribute towards building a continent that innovates, creates and leads in the digital age.
New Ziana
