Emerging economies across Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are accelerating the development of artificial intelligence policies, providing alternative governance models that African policymakers can draw upon as they refine their own strategies.
According to Dr Jannie Zaaiman of TICON Africa, the global AI policy environment is no longer dominated by Western economies. Still, it reflects a “globally distributed” set of approaches, with countries tailoring governance to their development priorities.
In Asia, governments are advancing frameworks that integrate innovation with oversight. Singapore has extended its practical governance tools to new AI applications, while Japan and South Korea have embedded “trustworthy AI” principles within national legislation. China, by contrast, is pursuing targeted regulation of specific use cases such as generative AI and deep-synthesis technologies.
These approaches demonstrate that governance can evolve alongside innovation rather than lag behind it. Dr Zaaiman describes this as “practical deployment-focused” policymaking, where regulation is closely linked to real-world application.
Similar trends are visible in other regions. Brazil has committed significant investment under a multi-year AI plan, while Chile has already implemented a large share of its policy initiatives. In the Caribbean, efforts are centred on “institutional capacity-building,” reflecting smaller economies’ focus on readiness and collaboration.
In the Gulf, AI strategies are closely tied to economic transformation agendas. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are embedding AI into long-term development plans, aligning technology policy with broader national objectives.
These examples broaden Africa’s policy toolkit. Rather than relying solely on European or American models, policymakers can draw lessons from peers facing similar development constraints, including combining “compute access” with governance guidelines, building safety institutions, and linking AI adoption to public-sector outcomes.
The real variation across regions is not in the strategies themselves, but in how they are carried out, particularly the speed at which institutions are able to build the capabilities and infrastructure needed to support them. This includes digital systems, skilled human resources, and regulatory capacity.
Zaaiman suggests that Africa’s opportunity lies in adapting these lessons within its own context, focusing on scalable and inclusive approaches. He states that governance should not be seen as a static framework but as an evolving system shaped by experimentation and feedback.
AI continues to reshape global economic structures, making the ability to design and implement context-specific policies critical. For African economies, leveraging diverse international experiences while strengthening domestic capacity could determine their position in the next phase of digital transformation.
