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{
"id": 1588872,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588872/?format=api",
"text_counter": 271,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "West Mugirango, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Stephen Mogaka",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you so much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this overdue Motion. I want to thank Hon. Marianne Kitany for this forethought and for waking up the country to the reality of life now and going forward. We all know that technology drives everything at the moment. AI is the latest entrant into the toolkit in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that has made work extremely easy, increased efficiency, and improved productivity. Also, it has come with equal dangers. Technology, like anything good, is a double- edged sword. As much as it is very helpful and drives serious economies of this globe, it is also having equal damage. For instance, when you employ AI in warfare, as is happening elsewhere in the world today, you can see the havoc that is being created by military people who are not at the warfront but are remotely attacking their perceived enemies and causing a lot of harm. Kenya has invested heavily in technical training institutes, but we have supplied them with very basic ICT support material. I urge this country, and this House in particular, to incorporate AI training and infrastructure in all our technical training institutes so that we equip our learners with the latest toolkit in the technological world. I am aware that with AI, the practice of all professions, be it medicine, law or architecture, has been completely revolutionised. I do remember that courtesy of the COVID-19, as a practicing lawyer, we did not know where we would have gone if our judicial system had not automated to enable us to practise law from our homes and present witnesses from where they are rather than having to transport them to courts and expose them to COVID-19. I am happy that we did those basic steps out of total necessity. Now, we are aware that it is either you embrace AI or you are aged out of whatever market or business that you are in. It is my humble prayer that going forward, we budget for a policy framework of how to embrace AI and maximize its utility so that we release a lot of man-hours of people travelling on the roads to workplaces, or sitting in the offices waiting for a colleague to bring a key to open so that you access your working material. That way, we will release as many man-hours as possible to alternative economic employment. In other words, what I am saying is that what machines can do, let man not bother to struggle to do. Machines are efficient, impossible to interfere with, incorruptible, and therefore, this is the direction this country should go. Additionally, despite having the budget we have in the education sector, some children in this country still learn under trees. We need so much investment in physical infrastructure. Going forward, we do not need to have our children in schools. They can learn from home so The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1588873,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588873/?format=api",
"text_counter": 272,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "West Mugirango, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Stephen Mogaka",
"speaker": null,
"content": "that we can improve parental care and be able to reduce the rate of inclination into criminal conduct of our young persons due to a lack of parental care and guidance wherever they are. I plead with our ICT Ministry to level up and draw a policy framework for this House to debate, discuss, approve, inculcate and create a very deliberate learning programme for all sectors, both private and public sector, so that as a country, we embrace AI and exploit its advantages and emerge as industrial giant in a very short while. As we do that, we urge engineers in this sector to be very candid with the country on the dangers associated with the use of that technology so that we build up firewalls and regulatory mechanisms to ensure that what is so good, when used badly, does not become extremely destructive. With that, I support. I thank the people of West Mugirango all the time for making me their Member of Parliament. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I invite you there to confirm that I attend Parliament every other day and make contributions whenever asked to do so. Thank you."
},
{
"id": 1588874,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588874/?format=api",
"text_counter": 273,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Thank you. When you were speaking, I noticed that you seemed to be very happy today. You are also bringing the same happiness to the House. Thank you for your invitation. Hon. Geoffrey Mulanya, Member for Nambale."
},
{
"id": 1588875,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588875/?format=api",
"text_counter": 274,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Nambale, Independent",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Geoffrey Mulanya",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak on this Motion. As my colleagues have said, it is very important that we get a proper regulatory framework to control the use of AI in this country. We know that society is moving very fast. Each day, children are born in society, and their minds are racing ahead of that of their parents, courtesy of Information Technology (IT) that is being availed. Today, you buy a new phone, and there is new technology that is being advanced daily. Sadly, the Government is not moving at the same pace within this particular space. Currently, AI is being used by most doctors in prescribing medicine, which is dangerous. AI is also being used in education by teachers who are preparing learning lessons to teach in schools. Additionally, it is being used even in the legal fraternity. The other day I had a complaint from a judge that young advocates are now using AI to prepare submissions to forward in court. They are quoting non-existing laws and non- existing judicial precedence that we rely on in our courts. This can easily mislead a court to arrive at a wrong decision. We rely heavily on previously decided cases in our legal circles so that we have a sequence. We do not want to have contradictions. A judge presiding over a case may be misled easily when someone comes in to use AI to prepare submissions and quote non- existing cases. We also have architects using AI to draw houses. It is becoming very dangerous. As said, lack of a regulatory framework has led to all these things happening in our society. It is very important that we formulate a regulatory framework and ethical guidelines to implement AI in the country to control its potential misuse. We have had cases of fake news appearing in our social media. Young intelligent people come up with screaming newspaper headlines with fake news. All this information is distorting society. It is a potential risk to conflicts. I support the Motion. It is extremely timely. I support Hon. Marianne Kitany. I thank her for bringing it up."
},
{
"id": 1588876,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588876/?format=api",
"text_counter": 275,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Thank you very much, Member of Nambale. Hon. (Dr) John Mutunga, Member of Tigania West and Chair of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock Development."
},
{
"id": 1588877,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588877/?format=api",
"text_counter": 276,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John Mutunga Kanyuithia",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you very much for the opportunity also to add my voice to Hon. Marianne Kitany’s Motion on the need for a regulatory framework on using AI. The technological stage we are in gives Kenya no choice other than to embrace AI. We already have it in various sectors. The process is ongoing. The important thing the Hon. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1588878,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588878/?format=api",
"text_counter": 277,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John Mutunga Kanyuithia",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Member is speaking loudly about is need for a regulatory framework to guide how we use AI. Especially in the advent of potential job losses, need for further and more intensive and complicated industrialisation, and the growth stage that we are currently in. We witness how artificial intelligence plays a role in movies and sometimes in news cast. Especially in collecting intelligence from various places or mapping an area using drones. Even determining where to spray for pest and disease control in agriculture, AI has become important. In modern warfare, drones have been used quite much. I believe one of the advancements we need today is AI enabling us identify the powers of the enemy, the placement and distribution of their economy, their warfare strategies, and investments in various areas. In the service sector, we have also seen that AI has become very important. It is key for us to embrace AI as a country. I participated in a convention on coffee marketing in Houston, America, two months ago. We were amazed by the level certain countries have reached in coffee service itself. Robots take orders from a human being, prepare the coffee, serve it in specific amounts, ensure payment, and that the combinations are correct. How do we embrace AI even as this knowledge permeates across the board? The country must embrace AI but in a systematic manner where we can control its users. Regulation is important. We need to discern the measures of control to take when it comes to using AI. It is important to focus on areas that could be dangerous to human beings so that we promote AI prudently, especially in areas like manufacturing. Most manufacturing sectors in other countries have embraced AI. This country also has investments in this area. We need a policy as we look at how to invest and what levels of control we should exercise. This policy direction will help us to manage this process as a country. Kenya is noted as one of the countries in Africa that has advanced in ICT. Investment in ICT is a deliberate decision by the current government. A ministry is exploring possibilities in the digital divide. How we can exploit the opportunities therein and even how we can employ our youth. Let us discern the sections or parts of the investment structure we should integrate AI as we explore these possibilities. Every sector is undergoing digitisation. As we look at it, we must accept that it is not possible for us to control learners fully. Research has to go on in various areas of ICT. Our learners must try out options and explore possibilities. We know innovations have been born in this country in that process. They have borne fruit and created a lot of employment. The M- Pesa innovation is an example. They may be the innovations that replace lost jobs. We need to allow contained research to continue so that we monitor the areas to focus on and the possible outcomes being discovered. Hon. Temporary Speaker, there is much disinformation. Especially through media and social media. Social media has extensively established the use of ICT. The question is on how to use AI to enhance verification of information that goes out. In court cases, the burden of proof must remain. However, we are looking at a future where someone might say, “We were able to collect certain information using drones”. We need to control this kind of using AI. What we input in AI determines the output. We must control how we use this tool. There are several important possibilities for us to consider. First is containment of news and news content. It is critical to know the kind of AI used to collect or produce certain news even before release. We will find ourselves in situations without proper proof if we do not contain this. News will already be widely circulated, potentially misleading Kenyans. Another issue is the control of associated onslaughts in sectors where we have embraced AI. We need a verification mechanism to confirm exactly how this technology generates credible, reliable, and verifiable information. We must have mechanisms to remove unverifiable information from circulation. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1588879,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588879/?format=api",
"text_counter": 278,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John Mutunga Kanyuithia",
"speaker": null,
"content": "AI is likely to lead to job losses yet we are a country that needs to employ a majority of its people. However, it is also possible that AI will create employment in new areas. As we adopt and advance this technology, we should look at how to align it with productivity in our productive sectors so that we are creating more jobs. We should wean off difficult and risky tasks and those that require heavy machinery. We may assign tasks that require intensive scrutiny to human beings. Public awareness is also very important. Awareness levels are high in our country. Unfortunately, much of the information circulating is neither credible nor verifiable. How can we use AI to ensure that we develop sufficient understanding to our people on how to cross- check information they are given? We need to foster transparency and the responsible use of AI. It is possible for us to do that through an elaborate policy framework, which is why I believe this Motion has come at the right time. We must distinguish the sectors that can embrace AI. We must also identify functions within those sectors that can embrace AI, and to what extent. We need a mechanism to measure and establish the level of AI usage that we are talking about. Hon. Temporary Speaker, there is the issue of ethical standards and the ethics of transmitted information. That also needs to be focused on and can only be achieved through a policy guideline. With those few remarks, I wish to support this Motion. Thank you, very much."
},
{
"id": 1588880,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588880/?format=api",
"text_counter": 279,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Thank you. Hon. Cecilia Ngitit, Member for Turkana County."
},
{
"id": 1588881,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1588881/?format=api",
"text_counter": 280,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Turkana County, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Cecilia A. Ngitit",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this good Motion by my colleague, Hon. Kitany. Looking at its definition, AI is the technology that enables computers to perform functions that humans have been performing, including making decisions, the ability to see, understand and translate spoken and written language, and analyse data, among other functions. There are ethical concerns that come as a result of this. If we do not regulate that space, how safe are we in terms of our privacy, the safety of our data, security and the potential impact on human autonomy necessitating responsible governance and regulation? AI has both advantages and disadvantages. When regulating the use of AI, we need to focus on the disadvantages so that it gives us more benefits than harm. Currently, in Kenya, our young people are looking for jobs. If AI is fully embraced, our people will lose jobs, and those seeking employment will have no future of getting jobs. Therefore, there is a need for regulation to ensure that only some percentage of AI is being embraced, and not fully, to prevent our people from losing jobs. There is a security risk from cyberattacks. AI depends on the researched data. If we do not regulate the space, our data can be at risk. Before we embrace AI as a country, we need to have serious regulations to address ethical concerns like bias, discrimination, security risks and high development and implementation costs. This needs massive and serious investment in terms of infrastructure and research. It is not something we can rush into without serious regulations. There is also the risk of overreliance on AI by humans, which highlights the need for regulation. For example, if students are presented with questions in school and they immediately turn to AI for information and data, then it may undermine their ability to reason and expound on things that are meant to test their intelligence. They will become dependent on AI. Therefore, AI-generated information must be regulated to ensure that only a certain amount is accessible through the cyber systems, not everything. If we let everything to run in the AI perspective, we may have the advantages, but the disadvantages will be enormous. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}
]
}