Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has sounded the alarm on the urgent need for regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Uganda, citing the potential threats to society.
Speaking at a symposium on data analytics, AI and data governance in Kampala, Tayebwa stressed that a law is crucial to enable youth to leverage their skills in sensitive AI areas, especially ethics.
“AI systems perform tasks that require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition and decision-making,” Tayebwa explains. “However, beyond the benefits and convenience, there are several concerns and ethical dilemmas, including structural biases.”
He warned that neglecting AI ethics could widen the gap between rich and poor and compromise privacy.
“We need a law to regulate AI. We need to strengthen the legal regime on AI due to its rapid development. If we take advantage of technology, AI in particular, we will be able to process data easily and save much more time doing other things,” Tayebwa points out.
He added: “Otherwise, if we don’t look at the ethical part of AI, we will have problems. I’m afraid this will ultimately widen the gap between rich and poor.”
Mr Tayebwa also raised concerns about the impact of AI on privacy. “Now, before you even leave a chair, the world has seen you, before you have even made a conclusion, the world has made a conclusion. We are about to reach a stage where you will no longer whisper if there is a camera, because AI will read your lips and interpret what you say.”
Nyombi Thembo, executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), revealed that an AI task force report will be released in early December, with advice on governance, ethics, infrastructure, awareness, regulation and other aspects of AI.
“We have established an AI task force that is finalizing its report. This report will provide advice to the government, looking at all aspects of AI,” Thembo said.
Mr Arthur Arinaitwe, CEO of Task Managers Limited, emphasized the importance of data governance due to ethical issues surrounding data collection and use. “It is important to talk about data governance, especially because there are many ethical issues around how data is collected and how data is used,” Arinaitwe stressed.
In July, UCC launched an AI task team to develop a comprehensive framework for integrating AI into the Ugandan communications industry.
The task force will focus on technical aspects, including researching the latest AI technologies, assessing infrastructure requirements, and addressing data management practices and cybersecurity measures.
