President William Ruto now says that countries must use technology to not only offer services to citizens but also to ensure its safety and security.
Speaking at the Second Mashariki Cooperation Conference in Naivasha on Thursday night, Ruto said the players in intelligence should incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their operations to stay ahead of any threats.
Mashariki Cooperation Conference is a forum that brings together over 60 intelligence and security services from across Africa and the world.
He insisted that if applied well, technology can solve the challenges facing society today.
“I want to ask all of you to make sure that the digital space, especially artificial intelligence, becomes part of our intelligence and we can leverage it as a tool that will enable us to be ahead of threats and risks that we face as countries, and as a region. I am confident that technology, properly applied and understood, can help us solve the challenges that we face as a society today,” Ruto said.
He noted that while he knows that technology can be used for a lot of things, it is upon governments and players in the intelligence and security sectors to onboard technology for security and stability.
The President insisted that without stability, there will be no development and that intelligence-led decision-making will ensure that there are more accurate interventions in all aspects of nation-building
“I know that technology can also be used for other purposes, but it is your responsibility, and the responsibility of governments to make sure that we leverage on technology, not just to provide public services and public goods, but also leverage on technology to secure nations and to make sure that we harness stability.
“Because without stability, it becomes very difficult for us to make progress and for there to be growth in our economies and for us to talk about any meaningful prosperity. And therefore, I want to urge all of you, as you take time to reflect on matters intelligence and how we can secure our nations better and the use of information.”
