Brief notes:

Uganda’s entrepreneurial young population could benefit from AI, but fewer than half use the internet and electricity reaches just 55.3% of people
The country is ranked 23rd out of 56 Commonwealth countries for youth AI readiness, scoring 47.0 out of 100, below the study-defined benchmark of 53.
Researchers calculate a potential US$899 million AI-related increase in the level of Uganda’s GDP after ten years, rising to US$1.364 billion in its optimistic scenario.
Uganda has a strong tradition of youth entrepreneurship, but limited internet access and high mobile-data costs restrict opportunities to benefit from AI.
Drawing on 1,128 research sources, the Ayre Index examines the conditions affecting approximately 732 million young people across all the Commonwealth’s countries.

Artificial intelligence could make Uganda’s economy US$899 million larger after ten years, according to major new research that identifies considerable opportunities for young entrepreneurs but also highlights significant barriers to accessing the technology in the East African nation.

The Ayre Index, launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, ranks Uganda 23rd out of 56 Commonwealth countries for youth AI readiness.

It scores 47.0 out of 100, below the study’s benchmark of 53, reached by only 15 countries. Uganda is just behind Kenya in 22nd place, but ahead of Tanzania (25th) and Rwanda (47th).

The research was produced by the Ayre Think Tank, founded by Antiguan-Canadian philanthropist Calvin Ayre.

One of Uganda’s most striking findings is the entrepreneurial activity recorded among its young people. The available data studied found that 41.9% of those aged 18 to 29 were starting or running a new business, while 20.6% owned an established business, pointing to a willingness among young Ugandans to create opportunities for themselves.

AI will open up new opportunities for young Ugandan entrepreneurs to reach customers, reduce business costs and expand their operations, creating jobs and increasing incomes. But the study found significant barriers to benefiting from the technology.

Electricity reaches just 55.3% of the population, fewer than half of young people report using the internet and mobile data remains expensive for poorer households.

Uganda has approximately 13.4 million young people aged 15 to 29, giving the country a considerable stake in the AI revolution.

Applying scenarios developed by the International Monetary Fund to Uganda’s economy, researchers calculate that AI could increase the level of the country’s GDP by US$899 million after ten years under the moderate scenario. The conservative estimate is US$434 million, rising to US$1.364 billion in the optimistic case.

The East African state is taking steps to equip young people for these opportunities. In July 2026, 83 young innovators joined a government-backed entrepreneurship programme designed to help turn technology ideas into successful businesses.

Another 144 young Ugandans graduated from a UN-backed digital skills initiative covering areas including AI, software development and cybersecurity. Such programmes demonstrate how practical training can help turn technological progress into new businesses, employment and economic growth.

Calvin Ayre, founder of the Ayre Think Tank, said: “I’ve spent my life in businesses where new technology changes everything, and I know you can’t stand still. AI is going to change how we work, how we do business and how wealth is created.

But this is not a race that only the biggest or richest countries can win. What matters is giving young people the skills and the chance to get ahead – whether to start businesses, find jobs or build something for themselves.

“Some Commonwealth countries are ahead, others have catching up to do. Nobody can afford to be complacent. That’s why we created this Index. It shows countries where they stand, what they’re getting right and where they need to do better. Governments now have to decide what they’re going to do about it.”

The study also found that too little is known about how young Ugandans are actually using AI or how well they understand it. Although a 2026 survey of 609 volunteers showed encouraging signs of adoption, researchers lacked sufficient evidence to score the country’s digital and AI skills.

Better information and practical training will be essential to ensuring young people are equipped to benefit from the technology.

The White Paper identifies five priorities: affordable and reliable access to technology; education that develops practical skills; stronger routes from training into employment and enterprise; AI tools suited to local languages and needs; and safeguards that enable young people to question automated decisions.

It calls on governments, educators and development partners to better understand the particular barriers young people face in each country before deciding where investment can make the greatest impact.

Professor C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, said: “We need to make sure that the next generation will be able to do more than just consume AI products made elsewhere.

“Access must come with its own agency and a real equitable stake in how these systems are governed. Young people need to be equipped to question these new tools, to improve them and to be supported in building alternatives suited to their own needs.

“Whether that happens, will depend on choices made now. This index gives us a clearer view of where those choices are most urgent. We should use it.”