NMG Digital Summit kicks off in Naivasha

The fourth edition of the Nation Media Group Digital Summit kicks off today in Naivasha, Nakuru County.

The theme of this year's summit is Synergies in Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Industry leaders, including ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo, journalists, business leaders, policymakers, academics and tech enthusiasts are attending the event to discuss the exploration of AI and its impact on the future of media.

On Wednesday, NMG CEO Stephen Gitagama and Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata took the stage to set the tone for the summit.

"As NMG, we are committed to ensuring that our audience keeps pace with the latest technologies, and AI is one of them. Looking at the quality of the topics to be discussed, I can say that this summit will be a game changer compared to the previous editions held in Mombasa," said Mr Gitagama.

He highlighted how AI is revolutionising content creation, from automated news writing to personalised storytelling based on individual preferences. He also delved into the ethical considerations of AI in journalism.

Governor Kang'ata emphasised the need for a balance between efficiency and responsibility in the use of AI.

"It's good that NMG is looking ahead and becoming a pioneer in such technology issues before others," Kang'ata.

In his closing remarks, Mr Gitagama emphasised the importance of embracing change while maintaining journalistic principles. 

The NMG Digital Summit is an event designed to help organisations implement the best technology and digital strategies in line with global trends and consumer needs.

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The summit will provide opportunities to learn, network and celebrate with partners, clients, digital experts and industry leaders.

Other key speakers at the two-day event include privacy expert and AI ethicist Cha'Von Clarke-Joell, NMG Editor-in-Chief Joe Ageyo, Safaricom Chief Information Officer George Njuguna and Digital For Africa CEO Francis Waithaka.

Topics for discussion will include AI in business processes and integration strategies, and navigating the ethical terrain of AI in education.

Speaking on Thursday, CS Owalo said Kenya is doing everything possible to be counted as an influential participant on the AI table.

"This strategy is driven by the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) 2022-2027, a governing philosophy of President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration," Owalo said.

"Through the Agenda, we have an ongoing sectoral reform process where a team of diverse Kenyan professionals has been tasked to assess the operational framework of each structure under the Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy (MoICDE)," he said.

The CS said his ministry recognises the transformative potential of AI in improving service delivery in various sectors of the economy.

"We are already reaping some of the benefits of collaborative approaches to innovation with the adoption of technology and digital solutions in government services, which has seen a remarkable improvement in transparency, service delivery and revenue collection," he said.

Mr Owalo also highlighted ethical practices in the use of AI, saying that such technologies should be developed and deployed with transparency, fairness, and accountability. 

"The government is actively engaging in an open, interdisciplinary conversation to assess the risks posed by frontier AI, to delineate the roles of different actors in responding to those risks, and to explore the significant opportunities presented by AI. A holistic approach that includes an understanding of the potential impacts of AI is essential," he said.