Online Reporter
Godfrey Nyoni
ARTIFICIAL intelligence is reshaping the global economy at a pace few technologies have matched.
Across industries, AI is helping organisations improve healthcare, strengthen cybersecurity, automate business operations, optimise agriculture and analyse enormous volumes of information in real-time.
While much attention focuses on AI’s impressive capabilities, there is another resource just as important — data.
Every interaction on a website, every mobile payment and every social media post contributes to a growing pool of digital information that fuels AI systems.
Without data, modern AI simply would not exist, which is why data is often called the “new oil” of the digital economy.
Yet unlike traditional resources, data is generated by billions of individuals every single day, raising urgent questions about who controls it, who benefits from it and whether the current system is fair.
Today, much of the world’s AI ecosystem is concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of global technology companies.
These organisations operate massive cloud platforms, develop advanced AI models and manage enormous data centres processing information from millions of users worldwide.
Their investments have accelerated innovation but have also raised concerns about dependence and control over digital resources.
This has led to growing discussions about decentralisation reducing reliance on a single organisation by distributing control across many participants.
Applied to AI, decentralisation is not about rejecting global innovation.
It is about creating a digital ecosystem where individuals, businesses and countries have greater control over the data they generate and a more meaningful stake in the value it creates.
Privacy is another major reason decentralisation matters.
People share information through websites, mobile apps and connected devices daily.
Most understand that some data must be collected to deliver digital services, but many also want clarity about what is being collected and who can access it.
A more decentralised approach could give users greater say over their own information while encouraging organisations to be more transparent.
There is also an important economic dimension.
Millions of people generate valuable data every day simply by using digital services, yet much of the financial value created is captured by organisations with the infrastructure to process it at scale.
This has encouraged researchers and policymakers to explore whether future digital economies can be designed so individuals and communities benefit more directly from the value created by their own data.
Countries are also beginning to view data through the lens of national development and digital sovereignty. Governments increasingly recognise data as a strategic national resource, not merely a commercial asset. Building local digital infrastructure, supporting domestic AI research
and strengthening cybersecurity can help countries participate more actively in the global AI economy instead of relying entirely on foreign providers.
For Zimbabwe and other African nations, developing local expertise could improve resilience while creating new opportunities for growth.
A practical step towards decentralisation is giving individuals greater control over their own information deciding who can access it, what can be shared and how long it should be retained.
This requires user-friendly technology and strong legal protections but represents a shift towards genuine digital empowerment.
Stronger data governance is equally important: good governance means more than protecting information from cyber threats, it involves clear rules for transparency, accountability and responsible data sharing, with organisations remaining answerable for decisions made by their AI systems.
Technology itself is also evolving to support more decentralised forms of AI.
Researchers are developing privacy-preserving techniques that allow AI models to learn from information without requiring unrestricted access to raw personal data, training models across multiple devices while keeping information in its original location showing that AI and privacy do not have to be opposing goals.
For Zimbabwe specifically, these developments present both opportunities and responsibilities.
The country’s digital economy continues to expand through fintech, e-commerce, online education, and digital government services.
As AI becomes more widely adopted, Zimbabwe has an opportunity to invest in local talent, strengthen infrastructure and develop governance frameworks that encourage innovation while protecting citizens’ rights. Rather than viewing AI solely as imported technology, Zimbabwe can
position itself as a contributor by developing solutions tailored to local realities.
Building a more decentralised AI ecosystem will not be without difficulty.
Modern infrastructure requires significant investment, and there remains a shortage of professionals with advanced expertise in AI, cloud engineering and cybersecurity.
It is also unlikely that decentralisation will completely replace centralised AI platforms since many advanced AI models require enormous computing resources currently available only through large cloud providers.
The future is more likely to involve a hybrid approach combining global innovation with stronger local capabilities.
As AI continues to evolve, success will depend on more than faster algorithms or larger models.
Trust, transparency, privacy and responsible governance will become just as important as raw technological capability.
The future of the AI data economy is not simply about technology; it is about creating systems that distribute opportunity more fairly while protecting the rights of the people whose data makes AI possible.
For Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa, this is about building the infrastructure, skills and trust necessary to compete in an increasingly digital world, ensuring everyone who contributes data has a meaningful place in shaping the digital future.
*Godfrey Nyoni is a consultant at Pique Squid. For feedback, contact www.piquesquid.com/00263786526527
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