TZ seeks AI partnership for growth priorities

TANZANIA: ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving from a specialised field of technology into an increasingly influential force shaping economies, public services, education, healthcare, agriculture and everyday life. As countries race to understand and deploy the technology, a new challenge is emerging: ensuring that developing nations are not left merely consuming innovations created elsewhere.

For Tanzania, that challenge has made international cooperation increasingly important. The country is seeking to build domestic capacity, strengthen digital infrastructure and ensure that AI reflects national priorities, including the needs of Kiswahili speakers and communities whose languages and circumstances may otherwise receive limited attention in global technological development.

It is against this backdrop that a Tanzanian delegation led by Deputy Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dr Switbert Mkama travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.

The forum brings together governments, international organisations, technology experts, academics, industry representatives and other stakeholders to examine the opportunities and risks associated with rapidly developing AI technologies. It also provides a platform for countries to discuss how the technology can be developed and deployed responsibly.

For Tanzania, however, participation goes beyond attending an international conference. It is an opportunity to exchange knowledge, present progress and identify partnerships that can help accelerate the country’s emerging AI agenda.

“Tanzania is committed to global AI initiatives and will use this platform to share its experience, present the milestones we have achieved and explore further opportunities for cooperation with other countries and international partners,” Dr Mkama said.

The timing is significant because Tanzania is laying the groundwork for a more structured national approach to AI. International cooperation can help the country access expertise, technology, infrastructure and financing while allowing Tanzanian institutions to learn from experiences elsewhere.

One important step has already been taken through cooperation with UNESCO under its Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM). The instrument helps countries evaluate their preparedness for AI and consider how ethical principles can be translated into practical policies, institutions and systems.

Tanzania conducted its AI Readiness Assessment in 2024 and launched its RAM report in 2025. The assessment provides an important foundation as the country prepares to introduce its first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

A national strategy is expected to provide a clearer framework for how AI can be developed and used while addressing issues such as governance, skills, infrastructure, innovation, data and responsible deployment. Yet building an AI ecosystem requires more than policy documents.

Tanzania is also working on the Jamii Large Language Model, an initiative intended to strengthen the representation of Kiswahili and other local languages in AI technologies. Language matters because AI systems learn from the information available to them.

If local languages and contexts are poorly represented, citizens may not receive the same benefits from AI-powered services as users of languages that dominate digital content.

Developing locally relevant language technologies could therefore support applications ranging from education and public information to digital services and research.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into economic and social activities, Tanzania is also emphasising the importance of ensuring that countries in the Global South participate in shaping the technology rather than simply becoming end-users.

“Our cooperation must help developing countries build the capacity and infrastructure needed to participate meaningfully in AI development, rather than leaving them only as users of technologies developed elsewhere,” Dr Mkama said.

This distinction is crucial. Access to an AI tool does not necessarily mean a country possesses the skills, infrastructure or institutional capacity to understand, adapt, develop and govern that technology.

For Tanzania, stronger international partnerships could help address these gaps through capacity building, technology transfer, financing and access to high-performance computing resources. Computing power is particularly important because developing sophisticated AI models requires substantial processing capacity.

Local researchers, universities and technology companies need access to appropriate infrastructure if they are to move beyond theoretical research and develop practical applications. Joint research programmes, pilot projects and partnerships between Tanzanian and international institutions could provide opportunities to apply AI to challenges that are specific to the country.

Potential applications span agriculture, healthcare, education, tourism, research and government services. AI could assist with analysing information, improving service delivery, supporting research and helping institutions make betterinformed decisions.

However, technological progress must also be accompanied by responsible governance. AI can generate significant benefits, but poorly designed or improperly used systems can create challenges involving privacy, bias, misinformation, security and unequal access.

Ethical frameworks are therefore essential to ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of public trust or individual rights. This explains the importance of Tanzania’s participation in a UNESCO forum focused specifically on the ethics of AI.

Infrastructure is another major consideration. Tanzania is seeking to strengthen its computing infrastructure and expand data-centre capacity to support increasing AI deployment across the economy.

But infrastructure development must also consider energy consumption and environmental sustainability. Data centres require substantial electricity, making energy efficiency and reliable power supply important components of AI planning.

There are opportunities for investment in green data centres and renewable energy that could help reconcile digital expansion with environmental responsibilities.

“Partnerships between governments, the private sector, academia and international organisations are essential if we are to build the knowledge, infrastructure and practical solutions required for inclusive AI development,” Dr Mkama said.

The emphasis on partnerships is significant because no single institution can build a complete AI ecosystem alone. Governments provide policy direction and public infrastructure, universities contribute research and skills, private companies drive innovation and investment, while international organisations can provide expertise and facilitate cooperation. Citizens must also form part of the conversation.

Tanzania is preparing to strengthen public understanding of AI through the planned Jamii Wezesha programme, which is expected to promote AI awareness and digital literacy.

Such initiatives are important because the spread of AI will affect people not only as technology developers but also as users of AIpowered services. Citizens need the ability to understand how AI works, assess information critically, recognise potential risks and use AI tools responsibly.

The Tanzanian delegation’s visit also provides an opportunity to explore how AI can become part of expanding cooperation between Tanzania and Saudi Arabia. Tanzania’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Zena Said, received the delegation at the Tanzanian Embassy in Riyadh ahead of the forum.

She noted that the UNESCO gathering could provide opportunities to gain experience, build professional networks and explore cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other participating countries.

“The forum provides Tanzania with an important opportunity to learn, exchange experience and explore new areas of cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other partners in artificial intelligence, technology and innovation,” she said.

Such relationships could become increasingly valuable as Tanzania moves from assessing its readiness towards implementing its national AI agenda.

Cooperation could support skills development, research collaboration, technology transfer, investment in digital infrastructure and locally relevant AI applications.

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The ultimate objective should not be technological adoption for its own sake. AI should contribute meaningfully to Tanzania’s development priorities and improve the ability of institutions, businesses and citizens to address practical challenges.

That requires a deliberate approach to ensuring that technology is accessible, relevant and responsibly governed. The Jamii Large Language Model, for example, represents more than a technological experiment. Greater representation of Kiswahili in AI can help ensure that language does not become another barrier to digital participation.

Similarly, investment in local computing infrastructure is not merely about owning more technology. It is about creating an environment in which Tanzanian researchers, entrepreneurs and institutions can develop solutions suited to local realities.

The UNESCO Global Forum therefore presents Tanzania with an opportunity that extends beyond discussions about AI ethics. It provides a platform for strengthening relationships, sharing experience and pursuing practical partnerships capable of supporting the country’s emerging AI ecosystem.

The global AI race is accelerating, and countries that invest early in skills, infrastructure, research and governance are likely to be better positioned to benefit from the technology.

For Tanzania, the objective should be clear: participate actively rather than passively. The country’s AI future will depend not simply on gaining access to technologies developed elsewhere, but on developing the capacity to understand, adapt, create and govern them.

That means investing in people, infrastructure, research and institutions while ensuring that Kiswahili, local circumstances and national development priorities have a place in the digital future.

International cooperation can provide an important bridge towards that goal but Tanzania’s long-term success will ultimately depend on building the domestic capacity to cross it.