The news
NAIROBI — The Kenyan government has raised concerns about the risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as youth-led anti-government protests continue across the country. Protesters have implemented creative uses of AI and digital tools to take on the political establishment in recent weeks as part of nationwide demonstrations, which were sparked by the now-rejected Finance Bill 2024, which contains a series of unpopular tax increases.
Among the widely shared AI tools created in support of the protests are GPT Corrupt Politicians, a chatbot that reveals cases of corruption involving Kenyan politicians. Another is the GPT Finance Billwhich helps analyze the controversial bill and its potential impact on prices. The chatbot also shares legislators’ phone numbers for their constituents to share their concerns.
Protesters also contributed to and shared databases of companies owned by politicians, which faced boycotts and attacks, and created another chat bot presenting their contributions to parliamentary debates.
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Most of the Gen Z and millennial protesters, who are now pushing for the president’s resignation, began organizing against the Finance Bill on TikTok and X before taking to the streets. They continue to use the features of social media applications, including spaces and live broadcasts, to coordinate protests and mobilize.
Protesters also used these platforms to fund the payment of medical bills and funeral costs for injured and killed protesters. An online fundraiser managed by activist and journalist Hanifa Farsafi, one of the main figures in the protest, raised 29.8 million Kenyan shillings ($231,906) from more than 34,000 people on Wednesday night.
Lesser-known applications have also increased their use in Kenya, such as Zello, which protesters have used to turn their phones into walkie talkies. It helps them quickly share information, including police movements during demonstrations.
Martin’s opinion
AI is a relatively new tool for both governments and adversarial political actors on the continent. Young protesters in Kenya are, however, especially well equipped to use their skills against the government. The country has one of the largest developer populations on the continent and a large technological ecosystem. Social media also provides platforms for young people to mobilize around issues and plan civic action, including protests.
AI tools have in many cases helped Kenyans understand the potential impact of the Finance Bill, transforming legislative jargon into actionable information for many protesters. It represents just one way in which AI could shape political action in Africa. The show of solidarity from technicians has been present across all professions – including young doctors who independently organized free medical camps for protesters, and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), which provided legal assistance to protesters and challenged abductions and use of excessive force by police.
“Everyone is just doing what they can,” Emmanuel Musyoka, a protester in Nairobi, told Semafor Africa. “We’ve had boda boda motorcyclists delivering water and giving free rides; graphic designers making posters.
The government’s concerns about AI come as it develops a national AI strategy, seen as a precursor to the introduction of a regulatory framework for AI in Kenya.
Room for disagreement
In a statement to ambassadors in Nairobi this week about the protests and the government’s response, Kenya’s foreign affairs cabinet secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, on Tuesday, July 2, shared concerns about the use of AI and the misinformation.
“The abuse of Internet space continues to fuel national and global instability, as well as fuel the ever-opportunistic cybercrime,” he said. “In fact, the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report admits that the greatest near-term global risk arises from misinformation and misinformation “largely driven by the potential of AI, in the hands of bad actors, to flood systems global information systems with false narratives.” .”
Remarkable
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Kenyan Celebrities and Social Media Influencers have abandoned the country’s largest mobile phone company, its alleged cooperation with the government to censor protests, slowing Internet speeds, among other things.
