Ethics and Governance in AI: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry into African Societies of Niger

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised significant ethical concerns in African societies, particularly in governance and data use. The research employs a combination of structured interviews and a stratified random sampling survey among key stakeholders including policymakers, technologists, and community leaders. Data is analysed using thematic content analysis for interviews and chi-square tests for the survey. A notable theme from qualitative data suggests that there is a significant concern about AI's impact on job security among communities. Findings indicate that while there is widespread recognition of the need to regulate AI, actual governance measures are lacking in Niger. Recommendations include developing comprehensive ethical guidelines for AI applications and strengthening regulatory frameworks with active community engagement.