Tech sector stakeholders have been urged to collaborate in order to tackle the challenges facing the industry.
These include AI, cybersecurity, cyberbullying, and internet governance.
ICT and digital economy PS John Tanui urged sector players to take on the challenge of proposing new policies, regulations and best industry practices that would position Kenya as a key player in the digital economy in general and in particular its AI sub-sector.
Speaking on harnessing the power of AI and emerging technologies, PS noted that AI should be treated as a tool that is here to stay.
“It is, therefore, incumbent upon us, the stakeholders in the room and beyond to plan around how to leverage its potential while minimising its risks,” he said.
“Africa’s role in AI seems to be at the lower levels of the AI value chain whereby, it is limited to the annotation of data sets.”
He further noted that developed economies continue to reap the highest benefits as the creators of AI algorithms and owners or custodians of the massive data sets required to feed the AI algorithms.
“There is a need to start playing at the higher levels of the AI value chain by creating local capacities in specialized AI skills such as data science, machine learning, and data engineering among others,” he added.
Speaking on internet regulation, CA cybersecurity Ag. Director Vincent Ngundi said that Kenya has taken a liberal approach because it believes in an open, liberal and secure internet.
“We had a challenging election in Kenya but we did not shut down the Internet. It is the government’s effort and desire to ensure we manage the Internet,” he said.
Ngundi was speaking during the Kenya Internet Governance Forum (KIGF) in a panel session dubbed, ‘The Internet We Want- Empowering All Kenyan People’.
Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) CEO Grace Githaiga emphasized the need of ensuring online spaces are free from disinformation, and discrimination and foster a positive digital environment.
“As we embrace new and emerging technologies, we cannot do all these if the image is not secure and is not free from imagined cyber threats and existing identities,” she said.
On his part, Paradigm Initiative executive director ‘Gbenga Sesan noted that it is paramount to have an internet focused on empowering people.
This is because, over the years, he said, there have been conversations about those who are connected, yet there are individuals who are deliberately disconnected.
“The internet we want is that which focuses on economic opportunities or the rights of citizens and not the wastage of resources and meagre resources that we have by investing in clampdowns and creating a climate of fear or illegal surveillance,” he added.
Meta public policy director for East and Horn of Africa Mercy Ndegwa stressed the urgent need for all to have a degree of governance.
“We are putting in place very strong policies to enable individuals to know how to behave on the platform. We are actually speaking about the Internet we want globally,” she said.
“We are also constantly engaging the youth to emphasise the use of platforms and how to scale their innovations.”
GIZ digital transformation centre director Bernd Lakemeier said productive use of the internet is very important.
“We want a productive use of the Internet. It’s not about consumption but how we can contribute to sustainable development in a country,” he said.
The KIGF is an open and inclusive multi-stakeholder forum that annually brings together industry stakeholders representing the government, private sector, civil society, technical and academic community, and the public to discuss internet governance.
ODPC deputy data protection commissioner said envisioning an internet we want demands that we collectively respect privacy, promote equity and ensure safety.
She spoke while exploring emerging issues on data governance which included progress and challenges in legal frameworks as well as promoting best practices to enhance trust in the digital ecosystem.
“Achieving this vision requires collaboration, education and an environment that fosters innovation,” she noted.
