By Dickson Bandera
Zimbabwe has been named among six African countries selected to participate in a global pilot programme spearheaded by UNESCO to promote the ethical development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
During a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare this Tuesday, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, announced that Cabinet had considered and noted the Zimbabwe Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report.
The initiative forms part of UNESCO’s broader effort to assist countries in operationalising the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, adopted unanimously by UNESCO’s 193 Member States in November 2021.
The Recommendation is the first global standard-setting instrument on the ethical governance of AI, aimed at safeguarding human rights, promoting transparency, and ensuring inclusive technological development.
The pilot programme, supported by UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), is being rolled out in six African countries: Botswana, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
These countries were selected to pioneer an AI governance roadmap that integrates ethical values into national strategies, policies, and digital ecosystems.
“The assessment confirms that Zimbabwe is taking significant steps to ensure that the development and deployment of AI technologies is done in a manner that is inclusive, ethical, and beneficial to society,” Minister Muswere stated.
The RAM tool serves as a diagnostic framework to help countries evaluate their level of preparedness for AI adoption across seven critical dimensions: legal and regulatory frameworks, technical infrastructure, education and research capacity, economic conditions, ethical oversight, social and cultural readiness, and institutional coordination.
In Zimbabwe, the AI Readiness Assessment Report provides a baseline for crafting policies that balance innovation with risk management. It highlights opportunities for AI to contribute to socio-economic development, including in sectors such as agriculture, education, health, finance, disaster management, and public service delivery.
The report also underscores the need for a coordinated national approach that includes investments in digital infrastructure, improved data governance, ethical training for developers, and stronger citizen engagement to prevent bias, surveillance abuse, or discrimination.
Zimbabwe’s involvement in the pilot reflects its growing commitment to digital transformation, following its adoption of the UNESCO AI Ethics Recommendation and broader policies aligned with the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Masterplan, which prioritises emerging technologies such as machine learning, robotics, natural language processing, big data analytics, and AI-powered platforms.
UNESCO’s RAM programme aims to support participating countries in building inclusive and robust governance systems for AI that align with local values, cultural diversity, and human rights principles.
As the global race toward AI adoption intensifies, Zimbabwe’s participation offers both a strategic opportunity and a responsibility—to ensure that AI is used not just to accelerate innovation, but to foster equitable development that leaves no one behind.
