Digital discretion and public administration in Africa: Implications for the use of artificial intelligence

African public administrations are in an especially difficult position with respect to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), both in how they harness its benefits but also in managing potential harms. Through a systematic narrative review of previous research, this paper synthesises findings from previous digital government implementations on the African continent, and considers the implications for AI use. Four considerations emerge as relevant: Integrity of recommendations provided by decision-support systems, including how they are influenced by local organisational practices and the reliability of underlying infrastructures; Inclusive decision-making that balances the (assumed) objectivity of data-driven algorithms and the influence of different stakeholder groups; Exception and accountability in how digital and AI platforms are funded, developed, implemented and used; and a Complete understanding of people and events through the integration of traditionally dispersed data sources and systems, and how policy actors seek to mitigate the risks associated with this aspiration.