Kenyan parliamentary committee given a month to report on AI in education and healthcare — Nation Kenya
Kenya’s National Assembly Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation has begun a month-long study of the use of artificial intelligence in education and healthcare. It was given one month to submit a report as lawmakers consider introducing a separate law to regulate the use of AI in the country, Nation Kenya reports.
Review of rules and safeguards
Representatives of the education and health ministries, as well as other stakeholders, are expected to take part in the hearings. The committee is chaired by Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie. Its members are to assess the spread of AI in educational institutions and the healthcare sector.
The committee will also review existing laws, policies, regulations and safeguards concerning the development and use of artificial intelligence. The focus will include data protection, privacy, cybersecurity, accountability and harmful ways of using the technology. MP David Ochieng, who chaired the chamber in place of the speaker, said lawmakers and various groups should be involved in drafting the law so that the document is not challenged in court.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Risks to education and health
Parliamentary majority leader Kimani Ichung'wah called for the education and health ministries to be heard first because of the growing use of AI in these sectors. He expressed concern that schoolchildren could use the technology to complete academic work, while people could seek medical advice and self-medicate based on it.
At the same time, MP Millie Odhiambo said Kenya cannot ignore modern technologies and must assess the use of AI ethically. MP Kimani Kuria also urged people not to regard the technology as a threat, but to seek ways to integrate it into education without harming the habit of independent learning.
According to the 2022 Government AI Readiness Index, Kenya ranked fifth in Africa and 90th globally. An Oxford Insights survey that same year assessed the country’s readiness to implement AI at 40.3%.
