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The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Association Bill 2023, which aims to govern Kenya’s emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics sector, has faced strong opposition from industry players. Information technology (IT) professionals and experts from the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) expressed strong opposition and recommended that Congress reject the proposed regulations.
On International Safer Internet Day, Alex Gakuru, a Kenyan IT expert, director of the Information Technology Law Center and leader of the AMCHAM team, presented their case to the National Assembly’s Communications, Information and Innovation (CII) Committee. They pointed out major flaws in the bill, criticizing the lack of interaction with artificial intelligence and robotics industry stakeholders during its development, local publication Business Day reported.
The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Society of Kenya Bill 2023 has been introduced, requiring all entities to register with the newly proposed Robotics Society of Kenya (RSK). Those who fail to comply face a fine of 1 million Kenyan shillings (approximately $6,000), two years in prison, or both.
Gakuru worries the legislation focuses too much on the robotics industry and ignores key areas of artificial intelligence. He highlighted the risk of legal challenges due to the bill being poorly drafted and called for it to be withdrawn to allow for further dialogue with industry players.
Concerns have been raised about Kenya’s position in artificial intelligence, which ranks fifth in Africa. According to the 2022 Government Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index, Kenya ranks behind Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia and Morocco. As stated in Microsoft’s Artificial Intelligence Outlook for the Middle East and Africa report, despite investing US$81.5 million in artificial intelligence over the past decade, Kenya still lags behind South Africa and Nigeria.
Elizabeth Mutua, a faculty member at the Dedan Kimathi School of Computing, elaborated on further challenges, including the unavailability of public datasets for AI development and the lack of legal structures in the country to oversee AI and robotics.
AI Kenya, an independent initiative promoting the development of data science and robotics, described the bill as a “significant impediment to innovation and growth in the busy technology ecosystem”. The view reflects broader industry concerns that the proposed regulations could hinder rather than encourage innovation in Kenya’s booming technology industry.
In light of growing opposition, NAND MP John Kiarie, chairman of the Industrial Infrastructure Council of India, pledged to take stakeholder feedback into consideration during the public consultation phase of the bill. The outcome of the proposed bill is yet to be determined as Kenya struggles to strike a delicate balance between regulation and innovation in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics.
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