By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Kenya is exploring how
emerging technologies can be harnessed to strengthen mediation, conflict
prevention and peacebuilding amid growing technology-driven threats to
information integrity, democracy and social cohesion.
The discussions were
highlighted by Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology, Ambassador Philip Thigo,
following an engagement with Professor Luis Franceschi, who was recently
appointed by President William Ruto as Kenya’s Envoy on Mediation.
The engagement focused on
the changing nature of conflict and the growing influence of technology,
including generative artificial intelligence, deepfakes, disinformation and
social engineering.
Ambassador Thigo said these
technologies are increasingly shaping and amplifying conflicts while creating
new threats to information integrity, democratic processes and elections.
However, he noted that the
same technologies could also serve as tools for strengthening mediation,
preventing conflict and supporting peacebuilding efforts.
The discussions also
examined the implications of increasingly sophisticated adversarial
technologies and the need to ensure that technological development continues to
support human wellbeing and social stability.
A key area of concern was
the impact of recommendation systems and persuasive technologies on human
decision-making. Ambassador Thigo stressed the importance of protecting the
cognitive capabilities of future generations and preserving people's ability to
think critically, discern information and make independent choices.
Ambassador Thigo also
welcomed the opportunity for continued collaboration with Professor Franceschi,
while highlighting President Ruto’s focus on positioning Kenya to respond to
emerging challenges at the intersection of technology, governance, security and
development.
