Kenya's Philip Thigo: AI Adoption Requires Local Investment, Skills

• Kenya's young population presents a significant advantage in the AI era.
• Ambassador Philip Thigo emphasizes the need for local investment in talent and digital infrastructure.
• AI adoption in Kenya is expected to lead to job displacement, but also create new opportunities.

The reality is jobs will be lost. And thats a hard fact, and I have to tell people this. Unfortunately, you cannot sugarcoat that,

As Kenya rapidly adopts artificial intelligence (AI), it is essential to acknowledge both its economic opportunities and the potential for job displacement. According to Ambassador Philip Thigo, Special Envoy on Technology, Kenya's young and digitally connected population presents a significant advantage in the AI era. However, this demographic also poses a challenge: skills must be translated into products and services that generate economic value. In other words, having skilled individuals is not enough; they must create something of worth to contribute to the economy.

To maximize AI's potential, Kenya requires significant investment in talent, digital infrastructure, and skills. Ambassador Thigo emphasizes that this investment should be local, rather than relying on external sources. He also stresses the importance of building a robust ecosystem to support digital businesses, including research, capital, infrastructure, intellectual property, public procurement, and access to markets. This approach will enable Kenyan talent to serve international markets without physically exporting products.

As AI adoption expands in Kenya, it is crucial to prepare the workforce for the changes ahead. Ambassador Thigo warns that some jobs will inevitably disappear due to automation, but he also emphasizes the need for workers to adapt quickly enough. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects a net gain of 78 million jobs globally by 2030, but also highlights the potential for job displacement. To mitigate this risk, Ambassador Thigo advocates for reskilling and upskilling programs that extend to people already in employment, as well as changes in education to prepare workers and young people for an AI-enabled economy.

Lawyers should watch for the increasing need to advise clients on adapting their businesses and workforces to the AI revolution, including reskilling and upskilling employees and implementing measures to mitigate job displacement.

Source: Original reporting via Capital FM Kenya