Where do AI and Data Privacy connect?
The second edition of the DSA AI webinar series tried to answer this question and in one word, the session was electric!
Our guest was Emsie Erastus, who is a tech governance expert, with over ten years experience under her belt.
As we tackled this important question, we started the webinar by recognizing that artificial intelligence is not true intelligence. In fact, AI draws from human intelligence, and thus we need to be wary of putting AI on a pedestal.
The salient question is, what is the gold standard for data protection then? During the session, we discussed the GDPR, which is used in Europe, and how the African legislature mirrors this. The Malabo Convention is the African Union tool, that is a model law and should be adopted by all African countries.
While it is sad that developers do not necessarily have privacy in mind when creating tools, it is important that we also practice safe usage of the tools. Stripping search queries of personally identifiable details, biometric data and other things you wouldn’t want an acquaintance to know are best practices.
There is an old adage that says that regulation limits innovation, but in this webinar we examined if that was really the truth? There was a reminder that there are multiple platforms that are ethical, whilst still optimizing innovation.
Emsie left us with an important reminder: Africa will be the most populated continent in 50 years, and this means that Africans will become the biggest users of tech products. Therefore, as Africans, it is crucial that as a collective, the continent pushes tech companies for stricter adherence to laws and regulations.
There is power in numbers and Emsie emphasized this. As young people in the region, we need to continue to realise that we hold the power and we can actually shift this power into the hands of the people.
As the world gets faster, it’s tempting to view Artificial Intelligence as the ultimate friend, therapist, financial advisor or confidante. It is important that even as we use AI, we bear in mind that it is a useful tool, but not the end all be all.