Emmanuel Ochayi
The United Kingdom’s government has unveiled plans for a collaboration with Nigeria to address pressing safety and security concerns surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.
The announcement came from the Director-General of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Kumar Iyer, during his keynote speech at the Nigeria Innovation Summit (NIS) in Lagos.
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Addressing a diverse audience of young Nigerian innovators, Iyer highlighted the need to acknowledge the inherent risks associated with AI, despite its manifold advantages. He stressed that non-state actors have increasingly exploited AI to execute attacks on nations, thereby elevating the threat landscape.
Iyer asserted that: “Only the UK cannot fight this; the only way to tackle these sorts of problems is through global cooperation. Unfortunately, no country has a monopoly on people who want to do bad things. And they do bad things across borders.”
He went on to emphasize the collaborative potential between the UK and Nigeria, particularly in enhancing AI datasets in critical sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture unique to Nigeria. Furthermore, the focus will be on AI safety and security risks posed by cutting-edge models.
The Director-General underscored the historical backdrop of AI’s existence but pointed out the transformative leap in technology, particularly with generative AI and large language models.
He clarified that, while addressing risks is essential, the UK does not intend to establish a massive regulatory body for sector-specific AI risks. Instead, Iyer advised governments worldwide to adopt a measured, long-term approach to AI regulation.
This joint initiative between the UK and Nigeria marks a significant step toward international cooperation in mitigating the evolving threats associated with AI, fostering innovation, and ensuring responsible AI development.
