Safaricom has urged stronger cybersecurity measures to protect against emerging threats from artificial intelligence, saying security must be embedded in technology from the outset rather than added later. Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa made the call during the fourth Safaricom Cybersecurity Summit in Nairobi on Wednesday, stressing that responsible AI adoption must be paired with stronger protections and shared standards across sectors.
Ndegwa said security can no longer be treated as a technical addition made after a service is developed. Instead, it must be built in from the beginning and strengthened through shared standards, responsible innovation and collaboration between different sectors of Kenya's digital economy.
The summit, held under the theme 'Harnessing AI, Strengthening Security', brought together key players from Kenya's digital sector to discuss the growing use of AI in cybersecurity and its potential to enable sophisticated attacks. Participants examined threats including deepfakes, AI-generated impersonation, automated scams and ransomware. Ndegwa said AI is expanding what is possible for businesses and society, but that opportunity must be built on trust.