According to a technology expert, enacting cyber-crime laws is a timely and critical step in Zambia's digital transformation.
This comes as the government is under fire from critics who claim it is a strategy by the administration to silence opposition.
Franklin Musonda, President of the Internet Protocol version 6, disagreed, calling the regulations as a watershed moment in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
"Establishing legal frameworks for AI use is not only about protecting against cyber crime but also about creating an environment of trust, innovation and opportunity," Musonda said.
He was reacting to Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science, who spoke at the recent Governance, Risk, and Control Conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors in Livingstone.
Chitati informed delegates that Zambia was safeguarding the usage of AI through cyber laws that the government introduced this year.
These include the Cybercrime Act and the Cybersecurity Act.
Musonda stated that while these legal instruments laid a solid framework for resilience, the greater difficulty would be ensuring that these policies translated into genuine capacity, awareness, and responsible adoption across industry.
He believes that with the correct partnership among government, regulators, academics, and industry players, the Southern African country may position itself as a leader in ethical AI and digital transformation across the continent.
"This is the right moment for all stakeholders to align efforts in building a future where technology is both secure and inclusive," Musonda said.
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