Summary:
- Access Holdings PLC stressed the importance of ethical and sustainable Artificial Intelligence use in the financial sector.
- Emphasized the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks and sustainable practices to manage Artificial Intelligence’s transformative power.
- Called for responsible Artificial Intelligence use in finance, emphasising ethical standards and sustainable practices.
Access Holdings PLC, a leading financial services group, has echoed the need for ethical considerations in using Artificial Intelligence (AI), calling stakeholders in the financial industry to factor in its sustainability implications.
This call to action was driven by a compelling keynote address delivered by Lanre Bamisebi, Executive Director of IT & Digitalisation at Access Holdings, at the Smart Banking Summit 2024 held in Kenya on Wednesday, reports Digital TimesNG.
Speaking on the topic, “AI Guardians: Securing Compliance and Mitigating Risks,” Bamisebi’s keynote shed light on the imperative to balance innovation and responsibility as the banking sector and broader society embrace Artificial Intelligence’s transformative potential.
“Artificial Intelligence has the power to revolutionise our societies. Over the years, this has become increasingly evident, offering unprecedented opportunities for growth, efficiency, and innovation.
“From enhancing customer service to optimising risk management, Artificial Intelligence’s potential benefits in finance are vast. However, as we embrace Artificial Intelligence, we must also ensure that its deployment is ethical, secure, and compliant with regulatory standards to mitigate risks effectively,” he said.
As the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence continues to fuel innovation, concerns remain about its negative impact on the environment. According to OpenAI researchers, since 2012, the amount of computing power required to train cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence models has doubled every 3.4 months.
They also posit that by 2040, the emissions from the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry will reach 14 per cent of the global emissions, with the bulk of those emissions coming from ICT infrastructure, particularly data centres and communication networks.
Speaking to these concerns, Bamisebi said, “The exponential growth of Artificial Intelligence adoption must be met with thoughtful consideration for its environmental footprint.
“As we harness the power of Artificial Intelligence, we must prioritise sustainable practices to mitigate its energy consumption and carbon emissions, ensuring a harmonious coexistence between technological advancement and environmental preservation.
“We must embrace our roles as guardians, and place comprehensive regulatory frameworks, ethical standards, and continuous learning at the fore of our considerations so that we create a future that is safe, inclusive, and prosperous for all.”
Themed ‘Navigating the Next: Africa’s Leap into Smart, Secure, and Inclusive Banking’, the summit was a pivotal gathering of leaders spearheading the digital evolution in the African banking and finance space.
Other contributors at the summit include Winnie Kaaka, Head of Product and Digital Banking, Access Bank Plc; Harry Hare, Co-Founder and Chairman, dx5; Moses Okundi, CIO/CTO, Absa; Tim Theuri, CISO, Safaricom/M-Pesa Africa; Daniel Adaramola, CISO, SunTrust Bank Nigeria Ltd; Steve Njenga, Founder and CEO, Metis Technology Solutions Ltd, and more.