Africa Sandboxes for AI Co-Creation Lab

On April 3-4, 2025, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Rwanda’s Ministry of ICT & Innovation, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, hosted the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, under the theme: “AI and Africa’s Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa’s Workforce.”

We invited you to a special side event during the Summit—the kick-off of our Co-creation Lab Series on Africa Sandboxes for AI, on April 2nd, at the Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali, where we highlighted insights from the two new publications from the Datasphere Initiative and engage stakeholders in shaping the building blocks of responsible AI sandboxes.

As AI rapidly evolves, traditional regulations struggle to keep pace and one-size-fits-all policies fall short in addressing its risks and potential. The Africa Sandboxes Outlook Report (2025) underscores the need for context-driven, locally relevant AI governance. At the Datasphere Initiative, we advocate for sandboxes as powerful tools to test, refine, and scale responsible AI innovation.  The Sandboxes for AI report (2025) provides insights into why and how regulators and companies should consider AI sandboxes.

In times of transformation, we need bold, adaptive strategies. Join us as we explore how AI sandboxes can drive responsible innovation. Stay tuned for upcoming co-creation labs focusing on key sectors such as health, sustainability, and digital public infrastructure across Africa.