The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has highlighted the complexity of crafting regulations and policies to govern the deployment of AI.
The Commission acknowledges the widespread interest among legislative and governing bodies in regulating AI technology. However, it notes the ongoing struggle to find the right balance between mitigating risks and fostering innovation while maintaining security and trust.
During the 2024 World Consumer Right Day, Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Commission emphasized the importance of collaboration among academia, industry, government, and society—the Quadruple Helix Innovation model—to address the rise of AI and IoT cybersecurity.
Maida stressed the need for AI developers and regulators to ensure that AI systems consider ethics and inclusivity in their algorithms, and highlighted that the rapid advancement of AI is reshaping industries and daily life. However, he cautioned that with this integration comes a myriad of legal and regulatory challenges.
He emphasized the necessity of carefully examining existing laws, developing new regulations, and considering ethical implications to ensure that AI contributes positively to society without compromising fundamental rights and values.
Maida added that the Commission in alignment with the global trend adopted the theme for this year’s edition of World Consumer Rights Day as “Fair and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Consumer”
“Artificial Intelligence (AI), is a phenomenon that has captured the imagination of scientists, engineers, and thinkers for decades and represents the culmination of human innovation and the quest to create machines that can mimic human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.
“AI has already made significant inroads into our lives. From voice assistants that respond to our commands to recommendation algorithms that suggest what we should watch, read, or buy, AI is all around us. It’s driving innovation in healthcare, finance, transportation, and countless other fields.
“Conversely, with inordinate power comes great obligation. As we celebrate the advancements in AI, we must also grapple with ethical questions. How do we ensure that AI systems are fair and unbiased? How do we protect privacy in an age of data-driven AI? These are complex issues that require careful consideration,” he said.
The EVC, also stated that using AI responsibly is crucial in order to guarantee consumer trust and circumvent possible problems.
He explained that responsible AI means using it in an ethical way throughout its development, deployment, and usage.
This includes considering issues like bias, privacy, transparency, and accountability. According to reports, responsible AI aims to empower consumers, build trust, and minimize negative effects.
To this effect, Maida, charged AI Developers to be transparent about the data, algorithms, and models used in AI systems as this ensures that decisions made by AI can be explained and mistakes can be fixed to ensure everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their background and also helps prevent biased decisions or discrimination thereby promoting inclusivity and equality.
He also, noted that protecting citizens’ privacy is extremely important when using AI. Organizations should handle personal data responsibly, following strict privacy regulations. Respecting privacy builds trust in AI systems.
“Responsible AI requires mechanisms for holding systems accountable and explaining their decisions. Consumers should understand how AI systems work and have a way to address issues or biases.” he cautioned.
The EVC, said the Commission in pursuit of joining the global community to advance digital services and enhance quality communications infrastructure for the benefit of the citizenry conducted a globally acclaimed most transparent auction for 5G services in Nigeria firstly on December 13th, 2021 and secondly on December 5th 2022.
The first auction saw the emergence of MTN and MAFAB as the successful bidders while Airtel Networks Nigeria emerged as the sole bidder at the second auction.
Since the emergence of these operators as providers of 5G services in Nigeria, there has been a steady growth in the development and deployment AI systems and services and the Commission has been constantly ensuring that the growth is the right direction that guarantees value addition to Consumer satisfaction and experience as well as ensuring economic growth.
He said that since the theme of this year’s World Consumer Right Day is Fair and Responsible AI for the Consumer, he will speak to important thematic issues in the Nigerian Telecom Space.
Maida, stressed that with the Commission’s special interest and commitment to Consumer Protection, it has proactively put in place consumer-centric initiatives to deal with first-level complaints by the telecom consumer.
These initiatives include the Consumer Complaints Management (CCM), through which various channels of lodging complaints were created, the NCC Toll-free line 622 available between 8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily except on Sundays and Public Holidays, the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Code 2442, for stopping unsolicited messages, the Consumer Portal-http://consumer.ncc.
Other initiatives include the Telecom Consumer Assistance, Resolution and Enquiries (TELCARE), at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, an additional platform to enhance awareness of the Commission’s activities, make inquiries on consumer complaints and also for advocacy on any thematic telecom issues or concern.
Also not to overlook the most recent, the Harmonized Short Codes initiative which enables consumers to use the same codes to access services across all networks. Recall that one major focus area of the strategic roadmap of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s current Management is the Consumer.
He used the celebration to reaffirm the Commission’s dedicated commitment to adopting and sustaining AI integration which is a force that is shaping our future in profound ways.
He said AI holds incredible potential to improve our lives, but it also challenges us to think critically about how we harness this power responsibly, adding, “Our continuous resolve to Protect, Inform and Educate (PIE Mandate) the telecom consumer is unwavering, particularly as AI technologies continue to advance there is need foster innovation while safeguarding fundamental rights, values, and dignity of consumers.”
