Rwanda has called for developing countries to have a greater role in shaping the rules and standards governing artificial intelligence, warning against a future in which poorer nations remain mainly consumers of technology developed elsewhere.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Emmanuel Ugirashebuja said many countries in the Global South view the AI debate as extending beyond the technology’s capabilities, speed of development and security.
For them, the discussion also involves access to AI, participation in its development and having a voice in setting the rules that govern it, Ugirashebuja said.
He made the remarks on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland, while addressing the first Harvard High-Level Forum on AI & the Future of Development, which brought together ministers, ambassadors, policymakers, researchers and representatives of international organisations.
Ugirashebuja said countries do not necessarily approach AI from the same perspective, as their priorities are shaped by their different development challenges.
He warned against a model in which innovation takes place in other countries, standards are set elsewhere and intellectual property remains concentrated among a small group of technology developers, leaving developing countries primarily as technology users.
The minister also called for a balanced approach to the adoption and regulation of AI.
He said moving too quickly to deploy AI without adequately understanding its risks could create problems, while overly restrictive regulations could prevent developing countries from benefiting from the technology’s potential.
Rwanda’s position, he said, is that AI should be developed and adopted while ensuring that its governance is clear, enforceable and accountable to the public.
The Geneva forum focused on AI’s role in development and how governments, researchers, policymakers and international organisations can contribute to decisions on the use and governance of the technology.
