IMF says Africa has to keep lights on before it can bet on AI

In May 2024, Microsoft and Abu Dhabi-based G42 unveiled plans for a $1 billion data centre campus in Kenya powered by geothermal energy. Cassava Technologies and Nvidia have also announced plans to deploy  12,000 specialised chips across five African countries. Meanwhile, governments from Rwanda to Nigeria are publishing national strategies that promise to turn artificial intelligence (AI) into a new engine of economic growth.