MBABANE – Minister of Information Communications and Technology, Savannah Maziya, has called for a united global approach to artificial intelligence legislation, saying smaller nations such as Eswatini must play an active role in shaping the future of innovation.
Maziya was speaking last week at the World Government Summit held in Dubai where she represented the Kingdom of Eswatini and shared the country’s progress toward what she described as a more inclusive digital future.
She said her participation at the summit focused on Eswatini’s efforts to strengthen intellectual property frameworks while building partnerships with global leaders to support and protect local innovation.
During a panel discussion titled “Who Owns Innovation Tomorrow?” Maziya raised concerns about how countries are approaching artificial intelligence at a time when the technology is still rapidly evolving.
“During the ‘Who Owns Innovation Tomorrow?’ panel, we emphasized that as we navigate the age of AI, smaller nations cannot be mere spectators, we must be architects. However, to do this safely, the world now needs a universal approach to AI legislation. Policy fragmentation leaves us all vulnerable,” she said.
Maziya said governments were facing difficult questions as they attempt to regulate artificial intelligence without fully understanding its long term implications.
“We face a unique challenge: how do we legislate AI while still discovering its full potential? We must even ask ourselves: will there come a point where we need to consult AI itself to decipher how to govern it? These are critical, urgent questions we must answer as a collective,” she said.
Turning to the Sustainable Development Goals, Maziya said global progress remained far behind expectations, with limited time left before the 2030 deadline.
“Regarding the SDGs, the reality is sobering. With only an 18% success rate globally just four years before the 2030 deadline, we cannot afford business as usual. We must make a concerted effort to ratchet up delivery as we look toward SDG X45,” she said.
Maziya said partnerships would be key as Eswatini and the global community push toward 2030 and beyond.
“Grateful for all the partnerships as we work toward 2030 and beyond. Let’s keep pushing until no one is left behind,” she said.
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