Rwanda’s National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy is a strategic roadmap aimed at leveraging AI to fuel economic growth, enhance the quality of life, and position Rwanda as a global leader in responsible and inclusive AI innovation.
Developed by the Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Innovation (MINICT) and the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), with support from international partners, this policy aligns with the Vision 2050 Smart Rwanda Master Plan and other key national plans.
Vision and Mission
The policy’s vision is for Rwanda to become a global center for AI research and innovation. Its mission is to harness AI for sustainable and inclusive growth, making Rwanda an African Innovation Hub and a Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence.
National Objectives
The policy aims to achieve several national objectives, including:
- Positioning Rwanda as Africa’s AI Lab and Responsible AI Champion.
- Building 21st Century Skills and AI Literacy.
- Creating an Open, Secure, Trusted Data Ecosystem to enable the AI Revolution.
- Driving Public Sector Transformation to Fuel AI Adoption.
- Accelerating Responsible AI Adoption in the Private Sector.
Diagnostic Assessment and Priority Areas
A diagnostic assessment of Rwanda’s AI ecosystem identified opportunities and constraints for AI adoption. Based on this, six priority areas have been outlined:
21st Century Skills & High AI Literacy: Develop a skilled workforce with AI and data literacy.
Reliable Infrastructure & Compute Capacity: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, and secure storage and compute capacity.
Robust Data Strategy: Create pathways to greater availability and accessibility of AI-ready data.
Trustworthy AI Adoption in the Public Sector: Strengthen AI policy and regulation to ensure public trust.
Widely Beneficial AI Adoption in the Private Sector: Support private sector adoption of AI to drive robust investments.
Practical AI Ethical Guidelines: Operationalize and share Rwanda’s AI ethical guidelines.
Key Policy Recommendations
1. Commit to Reskilling the Workforce with 21st Century AI and Data Skills
Rwanda recognizes the transformative impact of AI and emerging technologies on societies and labor markets globally. To remain competitive and thrive in this evolving landscape, the Rwandan government is committed to investing in and developing a National Skills Building Program. This program prioritizes AI and data skills and is complemented by a Young Professionals/Apprenticeship Program aimed at developing AI talent and creating career opportunities in the knowledge economy.
2. Set the Foundations for World-Class AI University Education and Applied Research
The policy emphasizes the importance of investing in talent as a crucial step towards building an AI economy. The government, in partnership with the private sector, plans to establish a public-private funded program for AI skills building at the university level. This initiative will include research fellowships, PhDs, and Masters degrees, along with long-term public-sector funding to universities. The goal is to build capacity in AI education and research by attracting researchers and partnering with global universities.
3. Adapt Rwanda’s Education to Empower Young Learners with Globally Competitive STEM Skills
Recognizing that an AI economy requires a long-term investment in human capital, Rwanda plans to adapt its school curricula to the age of AI, data, and digital technologies. The government will invest in creating a Teacher Corps to provide support and training to young learners in AI and data-related subjects, ensuring that they are equipped with globally competitive STEM skills from an early age.
4. Streamline the Exchange of Students and Professionals Between Rwanda and Foreign Countries
Building on its strategy to become a regional hub in Africa, Rwanda aims to attract and retain talent from across the continent and around the world. This initiative will enhance Rwanda’s position as a leader in AI education and research.
5. Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, and Secure High-Performance Storage and Compute Capacity
Access to strong compute power is essential for training AI models on large datasets. The policy outlines the need to provide mechanisms that enable access to international and world-class cloud computing services. These services will offer competitive performance and cost for Rwandan companies and the research community, facilitating and fast-tracking AI adoption.
6. Position Rwanda as a Host for Cloud Infrastructure with AI-Ready Storage and Compute Capacity
Investing in critical infrastructure and partnering with global players will enable Rwanda to develop a national cloud infrastructure and techno-industrial base. This initiative will enhance Rwanda’s regional competitiveness and support the growth and penetration of regional integration.
7. Create Pathways to Greater Availability and Accessibility of AI-Ready Data
The lack of digitized data and the inaccessibility of existing data are challenges that Rwanda plans to address. The government will set up a multi-sectoral task force to develop data governance frameworks and protocols. These standards will ensure ethical, responsible, and secure data sharing and guide the public sector in migrating data to digital formats, improving AI-readiness.
8. Strengthen AI Policy and Regulation and Ensure Public Trust in AI
Trust is essential for public confidence and acceptance of AI. Rwanda aims to strengthen the capacity of regulatory authorities to understand and regulate AI in line with emerging global standards and best practices. This effort will build transparency and trust with the public.
9. Collaborate in Measuring International AI Development and Rwanda’s Global Competitiveness
The government plans to establish international partnerships and benchmark Rwanda’s AI competitiveness and capacity in an annual ‘AI Readiness Index.’ This initiative will drive the development of AI in Rwanda and attract investment at local, regional, continental, and global levels.
10. Improve Public Service Delivery Using AI
Rwanda recognizes the potential of AI to enhance the performance and efficiency of public services. The government will invest in raising awareness of AI’s benefits, piloting demonstrations, and building capacity to implement and manage AI projects. Innovation-friendly procurement processes, training sessions, hackathons, prizes, and challenges will engage local AI solution providers and open opportunities for responsible AI applications in the public sector.
11. Support Private Sector Adoption and Prioritization of AI
The private sector is crucial for driving AI adoption within the wider economy. Rwanda aims to demystify AI by identifying high-potential AI use cases and projects aligned with the national agenda. AI meet-ups and demonstrations will facilitate AI adoption and raise AI and data literacy. Additionally, the establishment of a Presidential Council on AI, composed of AI academic and industry leaders, will provide advice to the government and private sector.
12. Boost Rwanda’s Emerging AI Ecosystem
Access to business resources and financing is a key challenge for the start-up community. Rwanda plans to facilitate collaboration among the start-up, industry, and research communities in a ‘Rwanda AI Program.’ This program will jointly develop AI innovations and solutions for industry and government challenges, catalyzing the AI ecosystem. The government will also support financing by co-investing alongside specialist funds in AI companies.
13. Operationalize and Share Rwanda’s AI Ethical Guidelines
Ethical and safety precautions are necessary to ensure that AI solutions benefit citizens and do not cause harm. The government will promote Rwanda’s ‘Guidelines on the Ethical Development and Implementation of AI’ throughout the AI community. An annual participatory consultation forum will update the guidelines, and a network of AI Ethics Officers across government institutions will champion them.
14. Actively Contribute to Shaping Responsible AI Principles & Practices in International Platforms
Rwanda seeks to participate in global AI policymaking, sharing its perspectives and learning from international practices. The country will join platforms shaping responsible AI adoption regionally and globally, such as the OECD, UNESCO, ITU, GPAI, World Bank, UNDP, GIZ, PDPC, Smart Africa, African Union, and WEF/GAIA.
These key policy recommendations outline Rwanda’s comprehensive approach to harnessing the potential of AI for sustainable and inclusive growth. By prioritizing skill development, infrastructure, data strategy, ethical guidelines, and sectoral adoption, Rwanda aims to position itself as a leader in responsible and inclusive AI innovation on the global stage.
Conclusion
Rwanda’s National AI Policy presents a comprehensive framework for harnessing the potential of AI for sustainable and inclusive growth. By prioritizing skill development, infrastructure, data strategy, ethical guidelines, and sectoral adoption, Rwanda aims to position itself as a leader in responsible and inclusive AI innovation on the global stage.
