By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Kenya’s Special Envoy on
Technology, Ambassador Philip Thigo, has called for a shift from people-centred
technology to “life-centred technologies” as increasingly capable artificial
intelligence systems reshape societies and raise questions about human agency,
dignity and African technological sovereignty.
Thigo made the remarks after
spending time with Open Society Foundations–Africa, Andela, Ushahidi, Code for
Africa and partners to reflect on the future of people-centred technology in
Africa.
“For many of us, this work
goes back years,” Thigo said, recalling efforts to build civic technology aimed
at widening participation, opening public data, strengthening accountability
and giving communities greater agency and voice.
But the emergence of
increasingly capable AI systems, he said, raises a new question: “do we need to
move from people-centred technology to life-centred technologies?”
Thigo said the growing
ability of technology systems to “reason and act” requires a broader framework
that takes into account human agency and dignity, communities, the environment
and the wider systems on which life depends.
“For our continent, the next
phase is about African agency in an age of intelligence, in collaboration with
other middle powers,” he said.
He warned that as technology
becomes “increasingly agentic,” many of the systems shaping societies are being
built by a small number of actors and are drawing on languages, cultures,
assumptions and values that may not adequately reflect those of African
societies.
“Many of the systems shaping
our societies are being built by a few, drawing on languages, cultures,
assumptions and values that do not adequately reflect our own,” Thigo said.
He argued that African
countries need the knowledge and capacity to make consequential decisions about
how such systems are designed, built and used.
“We need fluency and the
capability to make consequential choices about the design, build and use of
these systems for public benefit,” he said.
Thigo’s comments come as
African governments and technology stakeholders increasingly consider how the
continent can develop greater agency over artificial intelligence and other
emerging technologies, rather than simply adopting systems developed elsewhere.
He also used the engagement
to reconnect with longstanding partners and meet new voices working on
technology and development.
“Good to reconnect with old
friends from this journey, meet new voices, and keep building what comes next,”
he said.
