Arusha:MP Hassan Ibrahim Hassan emphasized the necessity of establishing clear legislative and regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence (AI) to align technological advancements with governments' capabilities to understand and manage the associated risks.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Hassan made these remarks during a discussion session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU) Standing Committee on Sustainable Development. The session, themed "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work," was part of Bahrain's Parliamentary Division's participation in the 153rd IPU General Assembly held in Arusha, Tanzania.
Hassan posed three critical questions for parliamentary deliberation, including whether the rapid development of AI should be slowed down. He noted the intense global competition among nations and corporations to advance AI technology, emphasizing the importance of ensuring its safe and responsible use.
He clarified that the goal is not to impede innovation or technological progress but to ensure that advancements do not outpace society's ability to comprehend and regulate their risks. Genuine progress, he stated, should be evaluated not only by the speed of innovation but also by its capacity to benefit people and protect societies.
Regarding employment, Hassan pointed out that global estimates suggest approximately 40 percent of jobs could be impacted by AI, with the displacement of millions of jobs and the creation of new ones. He stressed that this transformation requires clear plans to reskill and retrain affected workers, as well as clarity on who will bear the costs of this transition.
Hassan also underscored the importance of preparing for AI-related cybersecurity threats and highlighted the shared international responsibility of parliaments to anticipate emerging challenges rather than reacting post-occurrence.
He called for enhanced international cooperation on cybersecurity, the development of national policies to safeguard jobs, reskill workers, and measures to prevent the digital divide from widening between developed and developing nations. Hassan concluded by stating that the real challenge lies in ensuring AI technology serves people and society, rather than becoming a force that dominates them.