In a surprising turn of events, Kenya is witnessing heated debates over the Kenya Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Society Bill 2023, which proposes severe penalties, including a $6,250 fine and a two-year jail term, for unlicensed AI and robotic entities. Spearheaded by the Kenya Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Society, the bill aims to regulate and oversee the country’s burgeoning AI and robotics landscape.
The bill, currently under consideration in the National Assembly, outlines the criteria for entities to be deemed unlicensed – primarily the failure to register with the Robotics Society of Kenya (RSK). The proposed regulatory body, RSK, is tasked with fostering the growth of the robotics and AI sectors by formulating rules, ensuring compliance, and advising the government on emerging trends.
Lack of consultation with stakeholders
However, the tech community in Kenya has raised concerns, asserting that stakeholders were not adequately consulted during the bill’s drafting. Information Technology (IT) professionals fear that the legislation, if enacted, could stifle innovation and growth in the tech ecosystem. Some argue that the bill mirrors the previously shelved ICT practitioners bill, which faced backlash for imposing obstacles and bureaucratic hurdles in a field lacking sufficient skilled workers.
Critics, including Elizabeth Mutua, a lecturer at Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology, view the bill as a potential avenue for the government to introduce new taxes without comprehensive AI legislation. Mutua emphasizes the need for a well-crafted law to regulate AI and emerging technologies, citing the adverse effects of past attempts at restrictive legislation.
Alex Gakuru, the director of the Center for Law in Information Technology and head of the American Chamber of Commerce, Kenya, has called for the withdrawal of the bill for additional consultation with stakeholders. Gakuru warns that the bill, if enacted in its current form, could lead to a national disaster.
As the controversy unfolds, the tech community in Kenya anxiously awaits the outcome, hoping for a balanced and inclusive approach to AI and robotics regulation that supports innovation rather than hindering it.
