Authority Calls for Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence As World Marks Safer Internet Day
The Authority has renewed its commitment to child online safety and responsible use of emerging technologies as the country marked Safer Internet Day, with a strong focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its growing influence on daily life.
In a speech read on his behalf by Caroline Murianki, Assistant Director, Public Awareness and Empowerment, during the celebrations held at St. Luke’s ACK Kenyatta Church in Nairobi, the CA Director General Mr. David Mugonyi urged stakeholders to move beyond simply using technology to making smart, safe, and informed choices when interacting with AI-powered tools.
“As the regulator of the ICT sector, the Authority is at the centre of Kenya’s digital transformation and the safeguarding of public trust in digital technologies,” Mugonyi said.
He highlighted Kenya’s National AI Strategy which seeks to create an enabling AI ecosystem that supports innovation while ensuring adequate safeguards against risks such as privacy violations, security breaches, bias, and misuse.
The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy is spearheading the development of a national policy on AI and emerging technologies, that will give effect to Strategy which was launched last year. Once adopted, the new policy will pave the way for sector-specific regulations by institutions such as the Authority.
In the meantime, Mr. Mugonyi noted that innovators are benefiting from the Authority’s Regulatory Sandbox, which allows controlled testing of emerging ICT products and services, including AI-driven solutions, within the telecommunications and ICT sector.
While AI and machine learning technologies are already transforming Kenya’s telecommunications landscape, improving customer experience, enabling self-healing networks, optimising energy use, and supporting real-time network reconfiguration, the DG warned that the same technologies are increasingly being exploited for malicious activities, including automated cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, deepfakes, and unauthorised surveillance.
Data from the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre (National KE-CIRT/CC) paints a stark picture. Between October and December 2025, more than 4.5 billion cyber threat events were detected, a 441 per cent increase compared to the previous quarter. The surge was attributed to poor system patching, low user awareness of phishing and social engineering, and the growing misuse of AI by cybercriminals.
In response, KE-CIRT/CC has issued advisories urging organisations to strengthen critical information infrastructure through measures such as offline backups, zero-trust network segmentation, timely system updates, and continuous threat intelligence monitoring.
On child online protection, the Authority is working with partners to boost public awareness on the safe use of AI and AI-generated content. Mugonyi said the Authority has conducted media campaigns, stakeholder forums, and developed key policy instruments, including the Industry Guidelines on Child Online Protection and Safety in Kenya, 2025.
More than 500,000 consumer advisory materials, such as online safety guidebooks, have also been disseminated nationwide.
This year's event brought together child online safety partners, representatives from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, the Directorate of Children Services, the Ministry of Education (Nairobi Region), media practitioners, civil society organisations, and students from various secondary schools.