Course Description: This curriculum is designed to integrate AI ethics education into African university programs, ensuring that the next generation of AI developers and policymakers are equipped to address the unique ethical challenges of AI deployment in African contexts.

Module 1: Introduction to AI Ethics

• - Overview of AI and its societal impact
• - Fundamental ethical principles in AI
• - The importance of AI ethics in African contexts
• - Case studies: Ethical dilemmas in AI applications across Africa

Module 2: Fairness and Bias in AI Systems

• - Understanding algorithmic bias
• - Sources of bias in data and algorithms
• - Fairness metrics and their limitations
• - Strategies for mitigating bias in AI systems
• - Workshop: Auditing AI systems for bias in African contexts

Module 3: Privacy and Data Protection

• - Data privacy challenges in the age of AI
• - African data protection laws and regulations
• - Ethical data collection and management practices
• - Privacy-preserving AI techniques
• - Case study: Balancing public health and privacy in AI-driven disease surveillance

Module 4: Transparency and Explainability

• - The black box problem in AI
• - Techniques for explainable AI (XAI)
• - The right to explanation in automated decision-making
• - Balancing performance and explainability in critical domains
• - Project: Developing explainable AI models for local government services

Module 5: AI and Human Rights in Africa

• - AI's impact on fundamental human rights
• - Digital rights and AI in African constitutions
• - AI and social justice: addressing historical inequalities
• - The role of AI in promoting and protecting human rights
• - Debate: AI surveillance technologies - security vs. privacy in African cities

Module 6: AI Governance and Policy

• - AI policy landscape in Africa
• - Comparative analysis of global AI governance frameworks
• - Developing AI policies that reflect African values and priorities
• - The role of traditional leadership in AI governance
• - Group project: Drafting an AI policy brief for a specific African country

Module 7: AI and Cultural Preservation

• - AI's potential impact on cultural diversity
• - Strategies for using AI to preserve and promote African languages and cultures
• - Ethical considerations in digitizing cultural heritage
• - Case study: AI-powered language revitalization projects in Africa

Module 8: Economic Impact and Labor Displacement

• - AI's potential effect on African job markets
• - Strategies for AI-driven economic development
• - Ethical considerations in AI-based hiring and workforce management
• - Debate: Universal Basic Income as a response to AI-driven job displacement in Africa

Module 9: AI in Critical Domains: Healthcare, Finance, and Education

• - Ethical challenges in AI-driven healthcare solutions
• - Responsible AI in financial services and credit scoring
• - Ensuring equity and inclusivity in AI-enhanced education
• - Case studies: Successes and failures of AI deployment in critical sectors across Africa

Module 10: The Future of AI Ethics in Africa

• - Emerging ethical challenges in AI (e.g., autonomous systems, brain-computer interfaces)
• - Africa's role in shaping global AI ethics discourse
• - Building a pan-African AI ethics research community
• - Visioning exercise: Imagining an ethically-aligned AI future for Africa

Practical Components:

• - Ethics audits of existing AI systems
• - Development of ethical guidelines for AI projects
• - Simulations of ethical decision-making scenarios
• - Guest lectures from African ethicists, policymakers, and AI practitioners

Assessment Methods:

• - Case study analyses and ethical reasoning exercises
• - Policy briefs and position papers on AI ethics topics
• - Group projects on ethical AI development
• - Participation in debates and discussions
• - Final capstone project: Developing an ethical framework for an AI application in a specific African context

Learning Outcomes:

• Upon completion of this curriculum, students will be able to:
• 1. Identify and analyze ethical issues in AI development and deployment
• 2. Apply ethical reasoning to real-world AI challenges in African contexts
• 3. Develop strategies for mitigating ethical risks in AI systems
• 4. Contribute to AI policy discussions with an informed ethical perspective
• 5. Integrate ethical considerations into AI research and development processes
• 6. Advocate for responsible AI practices that respect African values and priorities

This curriculum aims to foster a new generation of ethically-minded AI professionals in Africa, capable of steering the continent's AI development towards socially beneficial and culturally appropriate outcomes.