AMANDA-ELLEN NICOLA JOJO
The boundary between the physical and virtual worlds is rapidly dissolving and nowhere is this more evident than in Africa, where a digitally literate, youthful population is powering an innovation boom From innovative digital tools and creative platforms, young Africans are deploying emerging technologies to solve real-world challenges Yet, as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes development and unlocks creative potential, it is also outpacing the systems meant to protect it, leaving many African innovators globally celebrated but vulnerable at home AI drives innovation but also poses serious intellectual property risks
According to the European Innovation Council (2024), it can mimic copyrighted works, reverse-engineer patents, and generate counterfeits, challenges that many African IP systems are still unequipped to manage In Zimbabwe, where creative ambition often collides with tight budgets, AI is redefining what’s possible In February this year, music producer Tawanda ‘Jusa Dementor’ Sibotshiwe released a visually ambitious and viral music video for the songFake Love, featuring one of Zimbabwe’s biggest artists, Winky D “We’ve always had big ideas but never the budgets to match, AI became a way to break through,” Sibotshiwe said
One striking scene shows a thousand soldiers charging the camera, which traditionally would cost millions of dollars for extras, props, and a full production crew AI lets African creators compete globally despite constraints, but vast creative possibilities come with equally large legal uncertainties “The technology is evolving so rapidly that most governments, including ours, have not yet developed frameworks to protect intellectual property in this area.”
Despite his role as a tester for Luma AI, Image Art, and Pika Labs AI, Sibotshiwe complements his insights with peer knowledge shared on LinkedIn rather than relying solely on formal institutions He also warned that AI’s training datasets are already biased
The concern is not just about technology it is about ownership of stories, culture, and identity Copyright, a type of intellectual property, protects original creative works such as songs, scripts, paintings, and performances.
Source: Businesstimes
