Kenya's AI Future: Envoy Stresses Talent, Investment, and Adaptation Amid Job Displacement Concerns

Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya's Special Envoy on Technology, has urged Kenyans to proactively adapt to the ongoing artificial intelligence revolution, emphasizing the need for significant investment in talent development, digital infrastructure, and skills. Speaking on Capital in the Morning, Thigo highlighted Kenya's young, digitally connected population as a key advantage, but cautioned that this talent must be channeled into creating economically valuable products and services.

The discussion comes as Kenya shows high rates of AI tool adoption, with a recent report indicating 97.5% of Kenyan respondents aged 16 and above used an AI tool in the past month. Thigo clarified that this figure represents usage relative to population, not absolute numbers, and stressed the importance of strengthening the ecosystem to translate adoption into tangible economic gains. He called for increased local investment across research, capital, infrastructure, intellectual property, public procurement, and market access, advocating for a "glocal" mindset where Kenyan talent serves global markets from within the country.

Thigo offered a frank assessment of AI's impact on employment, stating that job displacement is inevitable and cannot be sugarcoated. He cited projections from the World Economic Forum on job creation and displacement due, underscoring the critical need for workers to reskill and upskill rapidly. He used journalism as an example, suggesting AI should augment human capabilities rather than replace them, and advocated for educational reforms to prepare both current workers and students for an AI-enabled economy.

Finally, the Ambassador identified loss of human agency, child safety, and exclusion as major risks associated with Kenya's increasing reliance on AI. He questioned the depth of AI usage beyond mere adoption, warning against over-delegating thinking to machines. He also called for shared digital infrastructure to reduce the cost of advanced technologies, especially in sectors like agriculture, to ensure broader access and prevent deepening inequalities.