Artificial intelligence (AI) is upending life, work, and play as we know it … and it’s only just getting started. The rise of AI is a milestone on par with the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, and the creation of the internet. In short, AI is going to change everything. For some, that’s an exciting prospect. For others, it’s terrifying. However you feel about AI, there’s no escaping it, whether you’re in a global metropolis or a farmer in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

Dr Mark Nasila has been watching AI’s ascent for over a decade, studying its effects on everything from agriculture and aviation to healthcare, education, entertainment, crime prevention, energy management, policy creation, finance, and anything in between, and applying them to his role at one of South Africa’s most successful financial institutions, First National Bank, a division of FirstRand Group.

African Artificial Intelligence is a comprehensive and fascinating journey, tracing the rise of AI and its evolution into the emerging technology underpinning all others – from connected devices and smart chatbots to the metaverse. Mark combines unexpected use cases and tales of cutting-edge innovation with a unique and potent argument: harnessing AI to solve Africa’s problems requires embracing it from an African perspective.

African nations can’t afford to simply import AI solutions from afar. Instead, Mark contends, they need to rework, remix, and refine AI so it’s able to meet uniquely African challenges in uniquely African ways, and to take advantage of the once-in-a-generation opportunity AI represents for every industry, sector, and person, everywhere.

Data is a resource like oil or minerals, so who owns it is critical, especially as data is the raw material that’s powering the artificial intelligence revolution.

Sovereign AI is about much more than countries merely owning their data, it’s about control. It ensures AI aligns with their cultural, ethical, and legal frameworks. It’s about making sure AI works for people and not the other way around.

Businesses, nations, and leaders are quickly realising they need to embrace sovereign AI. This shift signifies an unprecedented move from the generation of software to the creation of intelligence. AI has already changed everything.

How we think about its ownership is going to shape everything to come.

In this groundbreaking and thought-provoking book, Mastering Sovereign Artificial Intelligence, AI expert, researcher, and speaker Dr Mark Nasila explores what sovereign AI truly means, how it differs from other AI models, and why it’s so critical to understand.

He outlines the shifting geopolitical landscape of AI and the emerging trends shaping international competition, and delves into how AI intersects with national security, the economy, and global power.

Data and AI sovereignty require countries to cultivate skilled AI workforces, build AI factories, and ensure governance and ethics are considered from the inception of any AI strategy.


Packed with insights from global industry experts, this is an essential hand-book for anyone who’s interested in AI, from individuals to business owners, policymakers, and parents concerned about what the future of work might look like.

AI is an asset like any other. So how we think about its ownership will shape the future of the world, and decide our place in it.