By JESSICA DOGO

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has restated its commitment to uphold the rights of telecom consumers, saying they occupy important positions in the telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria.

Its Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), Lawal Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner-designate, Technical Services, Abraham Ogbadami, said this on Friday at the 2024 World Consumer Rights Day in Abuja.

The theme of the Day titled: “Fair and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Consumer”.

Maida, who said that the protection of consumers’ rights is of utmost importance to the commission, added that the rights included the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose and the right to be heard.

The EVC emphasised the important position the telecom consumers occupied in the telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria, expressing the commission’s commitment to protect new consumer rights like the right to privacy.

According to him, others are 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.

The EVC said that AI was driving innovation in healthcare, finance, transportation, and countless other fields.

“As the advancements in AI are celebrated, it is important to grapple with ethical questions of how do AI systems ensure fairness and unbiased?

“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.

“Protecting citizens’ privacy is extremely important when using AI. Organisations should handle personal data responsibly, following strict privacy regulations. Respecting privacy builds trust in AI systems.

“Responsible AI requires mechanisms for holding systems accountable and explaining their decisions. Consumers should understand how AI systems work and have a way to address issues or biases.” (NAN)

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