A framework for mitigating fairness and ethical challenges of large language models in Africa

Abstract

The exponential growth of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as GPT-4, LLama2, BARD, and Falcon, underscores the urgency for robust frameworks to address fairness and ethical concerns in their deployment, particularly in the African context. This thesis proposed an innovative framework tailored to mitigate fairness and ethical challenges associated with LLMs in Africa. Drawing upon diverse methodologies and metrics, our framework offers a comprehensive approach to assess and address biases, promote transparency, and ensure equitable outcomes. By emphasizing the importance of representative training data and stakeholder collaboration, our framework seeks to foster responsible development and deployment of LLMs in Africa, balancing technological innovation with ethical considerations. The methodology employed involved a multi-dimensional approach, drawing upon insights from diverse stakeholders, literature review, and empirical analysis. Extensive research was primarily conducted to identify existing frameworks, ethical guidelines, and best practices in AI governance followed by a series of consultations with experts in AI ethics, linguistics, and African studies to tailor the framework to the unique socio-cultural context of Africa. The input from these consultations informed the selection of key dimensions for assessment, such as data diversity, transparency, and community engagement. This study employs Design Science Research methodology to develop and validate a framework for mitigating fairness and ethical challenges of Large Language Models in Africa, informed by African contextual factors including linguistic diversity, cultural values, resource constraints, and data availability. Pilot studies were conducted using sample datasets to validate the efficacy of the framework in identifying and mitigating biases in LLMs and the preliminary results indicated promising outcomes, with the framework demonstrating its ability to enhance fairness and ethical accountability in LLM deployment and this developed framework serves as a guiding resource for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, facilitating informed decision-making and ethical governance of LLMs in the African context.