The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has advocated the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to protect the right of the consumer in order to guarantee his trust in an increasingly complex telecoms market.
The executive vice chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida said this in his remarks during activities to celebrate the 2024 World Consumer Rights Day, which is marked globally every March 15 to raise awareness about the rights of consumers worldwide and protect them from unfair trade practices.
Represented by the executive xommissioner, Technical Services Designate at NCC, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, the NCC boss, who spoke on Friday in Abuja, on the theme “Fair and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Consumer”, said “consumers are the most important part of any business, and their protection is of utmost importance.”
He noted that the Commission has over the years kept faith with this date to highlight the important position the telecom consumers occupy in the telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria, in order to uphold the rights of consumers which have evolved over the years with additional new consumer rights. These rights include; the right to privacy, the right to quality of service, the right to timely redress, right to action on disputed charges, right to fair complaint process and right to accurate billing.
He said “AI has already made significant inroads into our lives. From voice assistants that respond to our commands to recommendation algorithms that suggest what we should watch, read, or buy, AI is all around us. It’s driving innovation in healthcare, finance, transportation, and countless other fields.
“Conversely, with inordinate power comes great obligation. As we celebrate the advancements in AI, we must also grapple with ethical questions. How do we ensure that AI systems are fair and unbiased?
“How do we protect privacy in an age of data-driven AI? These are complex issues that require careful consideration.”
He pointed out that responsible AI means using it in an ethical way throughout its development, deployment, and usage. This includes considering issues like bias, privacy, transparency, and accountability.
According to reports, responsible AI aims to empower consumers, build trust, and minimise negative effects.
“To this effect AI Developers need to be transparent about the data, algorithms, and models used in AI systems. This ensures that decisions made by AI can be explained and mistakes can be fixed to ensure everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their background. This helps prevent biased decisions or discrimination thereby promoting inclusivity and equality.
“Protecting citizens’ privacy is extremely important when using AI. Organizations should handle personal data responsibly, following strict privacy regulations. Respecting privacy builds trust in AI systems,” he said.
He said further that With the Commission’s special interest and commitment to Consumer Protection, it has proactively put in place consumer-centric initiatives to deal with first level complaints by the telecom consumer.
“These initiatives include the Consumer Complaints Management (CCM), through which various channels of lodging complaints were created, the NCC Toll-free line 622 available between 8:00am to 8:00pm daily except on Sundays and Public Holidays, the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Code 2442, for stopping unsolicited messages, the Consumer Portal- http://consumer.ncc.gov.ng, and the Commission Consumer X account @Consumersncc,” he said.
In welcome remarks the NCC Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs, Mr Clem Omife, that The Commission recognizes the important position the consumers occupy in the telecommunications ecosystem, and therefore will continue develop and promote consumer centric initiatives aimed at ensuring that the rights of consumers are protected.
He noted that Consumer Education also form a major tool for promoting consumer rights and therefore the Commission continues to engage with consumers and consumer issues using it various outreach programmes such the Telecom Consumer Parliament, Telecom Consumer Conversations: Market Conversation, Village Square Dialogue, Campus Conversation, NYSC Camp Sensitisation Town Hall on Radio.