Francis Mureithi, Radio Africa Group Digital Editor, identified misinformation and disinformation as key risks.
It is revolutionising sectors such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and journalism. Businesses and governments are leveraging AI-driven innovations to boost productivity, improve customer experiences and tackle pressing challenges, according to experts.
Speaking at a recent forum organized by the Editors Guild in Nairobi, Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology, acknowledged the disruptive power of AI, stating that technology today is not what it was even a decade ago.
He said: "Anybody with a phone in 2025
has one of the most powerful gadgets even more powerful than the computer that
sent the first Apollo mission to the moon."
The ambassador emphasised that AI is
already embedded in everyday life, often without people realising it. "If
you have ever borrowed a loan using a mobile lending app or used an
autocomplete function while browsing, you've interacted with AI," he said.
He further noted that AI is altering traditional job structures, enabling
individuals to perform tasks that once required entire teams. "One person
today can operate like a company, doing what previously took 10 or 15
people," he pointed out.
Francis Mureithi, Radio Africa Group Digital Editor, identified misinformation and disinformation as key risks of AI-powered technologies. He said, "the platforms are built to spread more negative news and misinformation than positive or correct news. This contributes to rising social disconnect and distrust in institutions, further complicating governance and public discourse.”
He further said, “AI is biased when it
comes to the interpretation of issues it is prompted to solve. It gives
subjective conclusions without considering the facts. It also lacks emotional
intelligence thus making it possible that some information it generates maybe
perceived negatively and not acceptable by human standards of communication.”
To mitigate AI’s risks, Thigo called for anticipatory regulations that adapt to the fast-paced digital landscape. "Technology doesn’t move linearly. If you wait to create policies the traditional way, you will be overtaken and disrupted," he warned, citing industries like transportation, where traditional taxi businesses were disrupted by riding apps like Uber.
In his concluding remarks, he noted that while
AI presents immense opportunities for progress, it also demands proactive
governance, ethical considerations, and inclusive digital strategies.