Kenya proposes rule requiring firms to disclose AI use in customer interactions

Kenyan authorities have released a draft policy that would require companies to tell customers whenever they are interacting with an artificial intelligence system. The Kenya Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy states that people have the right to know when an AI is acting on them, and it obliges organisations to disclose AI use in cases such as bank credit decisions, insurance claims, telecom chatbots, job‑applicant screening, hospital diagnostic tools, or media content generated by AI. The disclosure must be clear and accessible whenever a person deals directly with an AI, when an automated system materially shapes a decision that affects rights, access to services or legal interests, or when public content has been generated or substantially altered by AI. The proposal mirrors global moves like the EU AI Act and US state laws that demand similar transparency. While the draft does not yet specify exact penalties or define every situation that counts as “materially shaping” a decision, it calls for AI systems to be explainable, auditable and under human oversight, and proposes a national AI council and office to coordinate regulation. For Nigerians, the move signals a growing regional push for AI accountability that could influence future Nigerian regulations and affect anyone using Kenyan‑based digital services, prompting users to ask whether they are speaking to a machine or a person.

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/07/29/kenyan-companies-disclose-ai-under-new-policy/