AI in Government: A Practical Starter for African Public Servants

Ministries, agencies and local governments across Africa are being offered AI for everything from answering citizens’ questions to detecting fraud. Some of it will make services faster and fairer. Some of it will exclude the people who most need help, or lock your department into a contract it can’t escape.

This short course gives you the practical judgement to tell the difference, and the questions to ask before you say yes.

Who it’s for

• Public servants in ministries, agencies, regulators and local government.
• Procurement, ICT, legal and policy officers.
• Managers asked to “do something with AI”.

No technical background is needed.

In about 90 minutes you’ll be able to

• Decide whether AI is the right tool for a problem.
• Name the citizens’ rights that any public-sector AI must respect.
• Write five clauses that protect your department when buying AI.
• Use generative AI tools at work without putting citizens’ data at risk.
• Plan a small, safe pilot with clear measures of success.

How it works

Six short lessons, each followed by a quick practice activity, then a final quiz. Pass the quiz and complete the lessons to earn a certificate. If you want the wider picture afterwards, take our full course, AI Governance & Policy for Africa.