Tanzania – 9 October 2026: How can AI reflect Tanzania’s local context, protect personal data and support learning without undermining students’ critical thinking? These questions shaped the launch of the Tanzania Cohort of the Commonwealth Student Community for AI Governance, convened virtually by COL-CEMCA.

In his address, Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, highlighted Tanzania’s existing foundations for responsible AI, including its National AI Strategy Framework, National Digital Education Strategy, ethical AI guidelines and Personal Data Protection Act. He challenged students to build on these foundations by organising across universities, developing evidence-based policy recommendations and encouraging institutions to establish AI policies that balance academic integrity, data privacy and effective learning.

The students’ discussions brought forward concerns about data privacy and security, biased and unreliable AI outputs, the dominance of Western perspectives in AI tools, and growing dependence on AI-generated content in academic work. They also examined whether existing AI tools adequately reflect Tanzania’s linguistic and social contexts.

Among the recommendations were stronger national AI regulations, institutional policies for responsible AI use, greater AI literacy and the development of local-language natural language processing tools. Students also called for greater emphasis on logical and critical thinking, public awareness initiatives and the establishment of university AI clubs to sustain peer learning and engagement.

The launch provides a platform for Tanzanian students to move beyond being users of AI and contribute to its development and governance, bringing their perspectives into wider Commonwealth discussions.