Does the Brussels Effect Extend from Data Protection to AI Governance in Africa? Examining the Relationship Between European Frameworks and African Policy Adoption

Abstract

This study asks whether the Brussels Effect extends from data protection to AI governance in Africa. Computational text analysis compares 21 African data-protection documents with the GDPR and nine AI-governance documents with the EU AI Act. Data-protection documents generally show greater textual resemblance to the European model, but the matched-country difference is not statistically significant and reverses in one sensitivity test. African AI frameworks instead emphasize development, infrastructure, and capacity building, suggesting that divergence may reflect local priorities rather than weak adoption.