NAIROBI, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The development and adoption of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa must be anchored in sound policy and legal guardrails to mitigate potential societal risks, telecom regulators said Monday.
Speaking at a meeting of Africa's information and communications technology (ICT) regulatory bodies running through Friday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, David Mugonyi, director-general of the Communications Authority of Kenya, noted that while AI has immense potential to transform economies, it also carries serious risks that require ethical deployment and oversight.
"As regulators, we are exploring ways to promote ethical deployment of AI within education or health sectors without compromising the safety of our citizens," Mugonyi said.
He added that regulators across the continent are actively sharing knowledge and best practices to draft forward-looking policies and laws, aiming to govern AI effectively without stifling innovation.
The five-day meeting, convened by the Communications Authority of Kenya in conjunction with bilateral partners, brought together senior policymakers, regulators, and industry experts from regional ICT regulatory bodies to bolster collaboration and institutional capacity as the continent prepares for an inclusive and resilient digital future.
Lafayetta Boye-Massaquoi, a junior licensing officer at the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, emphasized that sound, evidence-based, and people-centered regulations are vital to ensuring the safe adoption of AI and accelerating Africa's digital transformation.
She added that regulatory guardrails must be carefully balanced to avoid stifling innovation, particularly in key sectors like public services, banking, healthcare, education, and agriculture that stand to be revolutionized by AI.
"We are looking forward to collaboration with sister countries to see how AI can promote digital inclusion and protect consumer rights," Boye-Massaquoi said.
Brian Kalinga, a senior ICT officer at the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, stressed that for AI adoption to unleash positive impacts in Africa, governments should invest in digital infrastructure, training and the provision of seed capital to AI startups and innovators.
Telecom regulators on the continent should also ensure that access to AI tools among the marginalized, including persons with disabilities, is prioritized, Kalinga said.
"AI is going to transform this continent, increase efficiency, enable people to create, but we should learn from those who are ahead of us to make sure there are guardrails," Kalinga added. ■