The Washington Post published on 27 August 2026 an editorial titled "How the U.S. Can Beat China in Africa's AI Race."
Software developers across Africa are adapting Chinese models to build applications tailored for African users. But China has no monopoly on AI projects in Africa. In compute, the US has far more to offer than China. The US needs to revive its Power Africa initiative, which came to an end when the Trump administration dismantled USAID, in order to support African data centers.
WinBuzzer posted on 12 March 2026 an article titled "Microsoft Trains Millions in Africa to Counter DeepSeek" by Markus Kasanmascheff.
US Microsoft is racing to train millions of Africans on its artificial intelligence (AI) tools before Chinese rivals led by DeepSeek lock in the continent's fastest growing user base. DeepSeek has already captured 11 to 14 percent of the AI market in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Niger.
The South China Morning Post published on 5 March 2026 an article titled "Africa Emerges as New Arena in US-China Competition over Artificial Intelligence" by Lucy Quaggin.
Africa is increasingly seen as a critical region for artificial intelligence development because of its population and economic growth. By 2050, one quarter of the world's population will be in Africa. American and Chinese companies are competing for the African market and support to set standards.
The Atlantic Council published on 20 November 2024 an analysis titled "Assessing US-China Tech Competition in the Global South" by Hanna Dohmen.
The Global South is enthusiastic about using AI applications. The US has most of the world's leading AI firms and applications. China's approach to collaborating with the Global South on AI is significantly different than that of the United States. China is promoting a centralized regulatory framework that does not align with that of the US and its allies.
The US needs to offer a compelling vision for AI that resonates with the needs of developing nations while upholding values that ensure a fair and inclusive future.
