Programs

The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center promotes dynamic geopolitical partnerships with African states and helps redirect US and European policy priorities toward strengthening security and bolstering economic growth and prosperity on the continent.

Content

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

India’s quest for digital sovereignty

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Similar to Europe’s “Third Way Approach,” and in order to navigate between the US and the Chinese models, India is also trying to develop a concept of digital sovereignty, all the while mitigating negative externalities of great power competition.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Worries about AI externalities

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

There is no doubt that emerging technologies have gained significant importance over the last couple of years, but a sense of caution is required when it comes to the hype surrounding AI. Technologies have so far remained a tool and their applications won’t be solving all of humanity’s problems anytime soon.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Technology for good

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

By focusing on healthcare, food security and agriculture, education, or infrastructure, global AI competition could be given a very different spin, mitigating the rivalry aspect of politics. How modern technologies should be centered on serving those broader global interests was at the core of the discussions in the roundtable focused on Africa.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

A bipolar world

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

A Bipolar World is where Sino-US competition edges out any possibility of cooperation—not just on data and AI. Countries in Europe and Asia are forced to choose between Washington and Beijing while desperately trying to develop their own digital sovereignty.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

A multilateral resurgence

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

A multilateral resurgence is a world that evolves after significant Sino-US confrontations occur on the scale of the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis. Post-pandemic, both the United States and China step back from the precipice, realizing that their unrestrained, full-spectrum competition with one another could lead to disaster and mutual destruction.

Africa Americas

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Third parties don’t want to choose sides

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Many worry about what could follow Pax Americana, especially since providing global security has always been a costly endeavor. A European Union (EU) approach was that Europe could serve as a bridge between the United States and China, somehow mitigating the ever-intensifying rivalry.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

Smart partnerships for global challenges

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

In order to give the global AI competition a different spin and emphasize the “technology for good” approach, it would be wise to highlight organizations that focus on AI applications in healthcare, education, food security and agriculture, or infrastructure endeavors, particularly in a post-Covid-19 recovery.

Africa China

GeoTech Cues

Jan 12, 2021

China’s ambiguity

By Mathew Burrows, Julian Mueller-Kaler

Speaking more broadly, interlocutors in Beijing emphasized that international cooperation has always been important to China’s economic development, alluding to the fact that the most successful innovations and AI advances often come from international research collaborations.

Africa China

In the News

Jan 11, 2021

Busch in The Hill: The promise of AfCFTA

By Marc L. Busch

Marc Busch writes that the African Continental Free Trade Area offers an ambitious promise but needs substantially more work to achieve success and importantly complement the WTO.

Africa Economy & Business

In the News

Jan 10, 2021

Hudson quoted in Bloomberg on US policy in the Horn of Africa

By Atlantic Council

Africa East Africa

Experts