TikTok pledges $200,000 boost for AI literacy in Africa at Nairobi safety summit

TikTok has announced an additional $200,000 (about Sh26 million) investment to expand artificial intelligence (AI) media literacy programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa, as governments and industry players met in Nairobi to address rising digital safety concerns.

The funding was unveiled during the platform’s third annual Sub-Saharan Africa Safer Internet Summit, a two-day forum that brought together policymakers, regulators, tech firms and online safety organisations under the theme #SaferTogether: Innovation and Safety.

The Nairobi summit marks the latest leg of a regional engagement series that began in Ghana in 2024 and continued in Cape Town last year, with a growing focus on aligning governments and technology companies on emerging online risks.

Tokunbo Ibrahim, TikTok’s Head of Government Relations and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the summit aims to move beyond discussion into practical collaboration.

“Our mission is to share learnings, tackle common challenges and advance solutions that protect citizens online,” she said, noting that partnerships between policymakers, creators and tech firms are key to building a resilient digital ecosystem.

Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, who opened the summit, said the government is prioritising both innovation and safety as digital adoption accelerates.

“As we embrace the opportunities of the digital era, we must protect our people by advancing responsible AI governance and strong regional partnerships,” he said.

The new $200,000 allocation builds on TikTok’s $2 million global AI Literacy Fund launched in November 2025, which supports content designed to improve public understanding of AI.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the initiative has already backed organisations working to counter misinformation and educate users on emerging technologies. These include:

• Africa Check, which is expanding fact-checking efforts across Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa

• Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), through its fact-checking platform Dubawa

• Kenya-based Mtoto News, which develops educational content targeting children and adolescents

Valiant Richey, TikTok’s Global Head of Partnerships, Elections and Market Integrity, said the company is working with trusted local organisations to ensure the programmes are relevant and effective.

“With the rapid advancement of AI, we want communities to feel empowered to engage responsibly—whether as viewers or creators,” he said.

The summit also highlighted how AI is increasingly central to TikTok’s operations, from content recommendations to moderation systems.

According to the company, more than 100 million videos are uploaded daily on the platform, necessitating a mix of automated systems and human oversight to manage harmful content.

TikTok said it is strengthening transparency through measures such as:

• Mandatory labelling of realistic AI-generated content

• Detection technologies to identify manipulated media

• Partnerships with global standards bodies like the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity

• Use of “content credentials” and digital watermarking

The company reported that over 14 million videos were removed across Sub-Saharan Africa in the third quarter of 2025, with 96.7% detected proactively using automated systems.

Delegates at the Nairobi summit committed to deepening cooperation on digital safety, particularly around AI governance, child protection and misinformation.

The discussions reflect growing pressure on social media platforms and governments alike to address the risks associated with rapid technological change, even as digital platforms continue to drive economic and creative opportunities across Africa.