Kenyan Deputy President Urges Africa to Embrace AI

Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is urging African leaders to tap into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to supercharge their economies. Gachagua highlighted that tech-leading countries are already reaping the rewards of infusing AI into critical sectors like agriculture, health, trade, manufacturing, tourism, and education.

Kenya to Establish Digital Hubs

Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is calling on African leaders to leverage AI to boost their economies. Speaking at the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation World, Gachagua emphasized that African countries should take the lead in harnessing AI’s benefits.

Gachagua’s remarks came weeks after Kenyan President William Ruto announced plans to address AI disinformation. Ruto also seeks to collaborate with international partners to ensure the responsible use of emerging technologies like generative AI, as reported by Bitcoin.com News.

Despite concerns about AI abuse, the Kenyan government is taking steps to adopt the technology. According to Gachagua, the Kenyan ICT Ministry plans to lay 100,000 km of fiber optic cable across the country and establish digital hubs in 1,400 wards.

Discussing why countries in Africa need to seriously consider adopting AI, the Kenyan deputy leader said:

Tech-leading countries globally are reaping from infusing Artificial Intelligence into agriculture, health, trade, manufacturing, tourism, and education, among other critical sectors of the economy.

The Deputy President meanwhile urged Kenya to harmonize its laws, policies and regulations to prevent emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), from being used in criminal activities. By streamlining these laws, Kenya will deter cybercriminals from targeting its residents with AI-powered cyberattacks.

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