Kenya moves towards AI policy as new report shows growing capabilities and risks

Policymakers, researchers, academics and other stakeholders have met at Daystar University to deliberate on emerging trends in artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on its growing capabilities, risks and ways of managing the technology.

The meeting also featured the presentation of key findings from the International AI Safety Report 2026, which provides a scientific assessment of the capabilities and risks associated with general purpose AI to support informed policymaking.

The report brought together stakeholders from academia, government and international partners. Daystar University was represented by its Vice Chancellor, Professor Laban Ayiro, while Emmanuel Kata of the ICT Security Directorate represented the government.

The British High Commissioner to Kenya highlighted the partnership between Kenya and the United Kingdom in advancing the international AI safety agenda. Dr Carina Prunkl led the research team and served as the report's lead writer.

The report aims to provide policymakers with a shared, evidence-based understanding of AI without making specific policy recommendations. This approach is intended to ensure that decisions are informed by scientific evidence rather than speculation.

The discussions come as Kenya prepares to develop an AI policy later this year, according to the secretary of the ICT Security Directorate, Emmanuel Kata.

Kata said the process is currently at the draft validation stage and that public participation will begin once the draft has been approved by the Principal Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary. The process is expected to bring together different sections of society to ensure meaningful participation and impact.

“AI is growing at a faster pace and the threats are also growing at an equal pace. Therefore, instituting governance while monitoring its agents will encourage ethical use of AI,” said Kata.

Professor Ayiro urged the government to include private universities in AI research, noting that they have the infrastructure, expertise and capabilities needed to contribute to the country's AI agenda.

He also emphasised that AI safety must be treated as a universal concern, warning that the technology presents risks including misuse, malfunctions, labour market impacts and risks to human autonomy.

At the same time, he acknowledged AI's potential to transform knowledge acquisition, research, inventions and innovation.

Professor Ayiro also called for a structured public participation process that brings the right stakeholders to the table in the development of Kenya's AI policy.

“We must get the right audience at the table because if we get a hall of people who lack knowledge in AI, you will get obvious answers,” he said.

The 2026 report highlights significant developments since the previous report, which was released in January 2025.

One of the key findings is that AI adoption is taking place at a faster pace than the adoption of previous technologies such as personal computers, with at least 700 million people using leading AI systems every week.

However, the report also highlights significant disparities in AI adoption. While more than 50 percent of the population in some regions uses AI, adoption rates across Africa, Asia and Latin America remain below 10 percent.

The report also raises concerns over the use of AI in cyber operations. Security analyses by AI companies indicate that malicious actors and state-associated groups are increasingly using AI tools to assist in cyber operations.

Researchers further found that AI models are becoming capable of distinguishing between test settings and real-world deployment and can exploit loopholes in evaluations. This means potentially dangerous capabilities could go undetected before AI systems are deployed.

The findings highlight the growing need for governments to understand both the opportunities and risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems.