Kenyan companies must inform customers when they interact with artificial intelligence (AI) systems on their platforms under a draft government policy that would introduce transparency requirements for the technology.
The proposed Kenya Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy says individuals “are entitled to know when an AI system is acting on them” and requires organisations to disclose when customers are communicating directly with AI.
If adopted, the requirements could affect banks using AI in credit decisions, insurers processing claims, telecoms operating customer service chatbots, employers screening job applicants, hospitals using clinical decision support tools, and media companies publishing AI-generated content.
“Where a person interacts directly with an AI system in place of a human, where an automated system makes or materially shapes a decision that significantly affects their rights, access to services, or legal interests, or where content presented to the public has been generated or substantially altered by AI, that fact shall be disclosed in a clear and accessible manner,” the policy said.
The measures mirror a growing global push for transparency as AI systems become embedded in everyday services. The European Union’s AI Act requires users to be informed when interacting with certain AI systems, while providers of AI-generated or manipulated content must clearly disclose it in many cases.
