Unesco said it is concerned by ethical issues raised by these innovations, in particular discrimination and stereotyping, disinformation, the right to privacy, the protection of personal data and other human and environmental rights.
“The world needs stronger ethical rules for artificial intelligence: this is the challenge of our time,” Audrey Azoulay, Unesco’s director-general, said in a statement.
AI refers to applications that perform complex tasks that once required human input, such as communicating with customers online or driving cars and writing some essays.
Audrey called on countries to fully implement its recommendation on the ethics of AI immediately.
“Our member states all endorsed this recommendation in November 2021. It is high time to implement the strategies and regulations at national level. We have to walk the talk and ensure we deliver on the recommendation’s objectives,” the Unesco director general said.
Audrey said this framework provides all the necessary safeguards that countries need.
The UN agency’s recommendation on the ethics of AI is the first global framework that guides countries on how to maximise the benefits of AI and reduce the risks it entails.
“Industry self-regulation is clearly not sufficient to avoid these ethical harms, which is why the recommendation provides the tools to ensure that AI developments abide by the rule of law, avoiding harm and ensuring that when harm is done, accountability and redressal mechanisms are at hand for those affected,” it said.
Kenyans are considered one of the early adopters of new technologies in the world.
In 2021, an index of 158 countries released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, showed that Kenya is ahead of countries such as the UK and Russia in utilising fourth industrial revolution technologies.
Such technologies include AI, the Internet of Things, big data, blockchain, 5G, 3D printing, robotics, drones, gene editing, nanotechnology and solar photovoltaic.
The country is also incorporating IT in primary schools to encourage early adoption of technology.
Currently, the government is developing content for the ongoing second and third phase of Digital Literacy Programme for schools, in order to ensure the programme takes root in the new Competency-Based Curriculum.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development had provided content for various content image development on the CBC and e-books, among other materials needed for the DLP under the new curriculum.
In phase one of the programme themed “Learning to Use”, young learners (in Grade 3 and below) are exposed to friendly technology and encourage its early adoption.
The public primary schools received various types of devices which have pre-installed content for lower grade learners.
The DLP that was initiated by the Government in 2016 is in its second phase, whose implementation started in July 2019.
During the first phase of the programme, more than one million devices were installed in more than 23,000 public primary schools in the country. Most of the devices were locally assembled at the Moi University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology assembling plants.
The objective is to expose learners to technology’s ideas concept for learning, to enhance creativity and innovation.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
