Chatbots that uncover corruption cases and analyze the impact of tax hikes are being used in anti-government protests in Kenya
In Kenya, where youth-led anti-government protests are ongoing, AI is being used to support the demonstrations, and the Kenyan government has expressed concerns about the risks associated with the use of AI.
AI Uses Worries Kenyan Officials As Digital Tools Help Fuel Anger Against Govt
Kenya protesters use AI in anti-government battle | Semafor
In Kenya, the 2024 Finance Bill (PDF file) , which contains many tax-hiking measures, has generated huge controversy and led to large-scale protests calling for President William Ruto to resign.
At the forefront of the protests are mainly tech-savvy millennials and Gen Zers , who are using AI and digital tools to demonstrate against established political parties.
To support the protests, chatbots have been created, such as ' Corrupt Politicians GPT ,' which exposes corruption cases involving Kenyan politicians, ' Finance Bill GPT ,' which analyzes the impact of tax increases due to the implementation of the Finance Bill, and ' 13th Parliament ,' which shows information on companies owned by politicians who are the target of boycotts and protests, as well as their contributions to parliament. These chatbots also share the phone numbers of lawmakers so that voters can express their concerns about the government.
Activists are also reported to be recruiting on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) to protest against the Finance Bill, and are using these online platforms to crowdfund medical and funeral expenses for those killed or injured in the protests.
In fact, at least 39 activists have been killed in protests held since mid-June 2024, and activist and journalist Hanifa Falsafi has raised 30.4 million Kenyan shillings (approximately 38.2 million yen) at the time of writing.
In addition, activists are using the smartphone walkie-talkie app Zello to share information about police movements and other information, and are posting messages critical of the finance bill translated into various local languages on TikTok.
Finance Bill translated:
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 24, 2024
Protest organizers translate bills into languages
Bill was translated into Somali, Kikuyu, Embu, Kisii
Focus was given mostly to contentious clauses
Sign language interpreters were also deployed #CitizenMondayReport @TrevorOmbija pic.twitter.com/t3I5oKrpFg
Meanwhile, Kenya's Minister of Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi expressed concern, saying, 'The misuse of the internet not only continues to fuel instability in Japan and around the world, but also encourages cybercrime. In fact, the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024 acknowledges that 'the world's greatest near-term risk comes from misinformation and disinformation.' If AI falls into the hands of malicious actors, there is a risk that false narratives will flood the global information system.'
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