BRICS' AI Cooperation

IOL News

3 days ago

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a critical tool for economic progress, governance, and global competitiveness. Within the BRICS+ framework, AI collaboration is no longer an emerging trend but a structured and rapidly developing area of shared interest. In 2025, this expanded bloc is leveraging AI to advance South-South cooperation, decrease reliance on Western technologies, and develop digital solutions tailored to the distinct social and economic requirements of developing nations.
Building AI Capacity Through BRICS+
The 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan marked a pivotal moment, officially positioning AI at the core of the BRICS+ development strategy. With the inclusion of four new members, the summit ratified the BRICS+ AI Cooperation Framework. This framework highlights AI as both a growth engine and a strategic asset, crucial for achieving autonomy across critical sectors like health, education, agriculture, energy, and security. Its focus areas encompass shared infrastructure, collaborative research, talent cultivation, and ethical governance.
The newly established BRICS+ Centre for AI Research and Innovation, a collaborative network of AI hubs located in São Paulo, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Cairo, Addis Ababa, Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran, has already initiated projects in key areas such as language processing, smart agriculture, climate prediction, and digital identity systems. This significant initiative operates under the umbrella of the broader BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) and benefits from the robust financial backing of the New Development Bank (NDB), which has committed over $2 billion to advance AI infrastructure and foster skills development across all member states.
Joint Projects with Local Impact
BRICS+ nations are leveraging AI to address practical challenges. For instance, an AI platform supported by BRICS in Ethiopia utilises satellite imagery and machine learning to map irrigation and predict droughts. In Iran, AI is improving hospital logistics and medicine supply chains, leading to greater efficiency in remote areas. Brazil and South Africa are also partnering with China on smart farming solutions, deploying AI drones to monitor soil health and optimise fertiliser application.
India and Egypt are collaborating on AI-powered Arabic and Hindi language learning systems for educational institutions. Meanwhile, Russia and Indonesia are investigating AI-driven cyber-resilience strategies to protect vital digital infrastructure.
A core strength of BRICS+ lies in its collaborative partnerships, which are built upon shared challenges and complementary capabilities. For instance, while some nations contribute technological expertise (e.g., China in deep learning, India in data science, Russia in robotics), others offer unique environments for testing and address specific local needs (e.g., Ethiopia in agriculture, Egypt in water management, Brazil in biodiversity monitoring).
The Role of Data and Sovereign Infrastructure
Limited access to quality data and computing power has been a significant barrier to AI development in the Global South. To address this, BRICS+ nations are developing the BRICS+ Digital Cloud Corridor. This initiative will establish a shared data storage and high-performance computing network across member states, enabling countries to run AI models securely without dependence on US- or EU-based servers.
Crucial for the development of AI tools in local languages, this infrastructure helps mitigate cultural biases in global algorithms and uphold data sovereignty. As an illustration, Ethiopia's state-owned data agency has partnered with Russia and India. These agreements facilitate the hosting of training datasets focused on African health outcomes and education gaps, with the objective of creating localised AI that supports the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Shared Ethics and Responsible AI
AI presents complex ethical and regulatory dilemmas, including questions of data ownership, decision-making processes, and bias prevention. In response, BRICS+ nations are developing a Unified AI Ethics Charter. This initiative, proposed by South Africa and Egypt in 2024, aims to establish fundamental principles for fairness, transparency, non-discrimination, and public accountability across all BRICS+ countries.
The charter prioritises shared values such as development, sovereignty, and equity, offering an alternative to importing Western AI ethics models. Countries like Iran and Indonesia have advocated for ethical standards that simultaneously safeguard cultural identity and local norms while fostering innovation.
What It Means for the Future
Economically, BRICS+ now accounts for over 45% of the global population and more than 36% of worldwide GDP. Its artificial intelligence investments will directly influence the global development, governance, and distribution of these technologies. The initiation of joint AI projects demonstrates a clear intent: BRICS+ is evolving beyond a political alliance to become a significant technological powerhouse.
Should this trend persist, BRICS+ nations could lessen their reliance on Silicon Valley platforms, establish digital systems tailored to their specific contexts, and even extend AI solutions to other developing nations. Particularly for African countries, the addition of Ethiopia, Egypt, and South Africa to BRICS+ unlocks new prospects for infrastructure assistance, knowledge exchange, and accelerated digital advancement.
In the age of AI, cooperation is power. The message is clear: BRICS+ is positioning itself to shape the future, not merely to consume it.
Written By:
Sesona Mdlokovana
Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group
African Specialist