Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming the defining force shaping the future of industries, economies and societies.
Speaking at the Safaricom Decode 4.0 event, Safaricom’s Group Chief Finance and Innovation Officer, Dilip Pal, delivered a compelling message saying AI could power Kenya’s next major industrial leap, but only if organizations and institutions are ready for it.
“The future has a name, Artificial Intelligence,” Pal said. “And the question is not whether AI will change Kenya, but whether we are ready for it.”
Pal framed AI as the foundation of a new digital era, one that will move beyond labs and apps into real-world systems powering industries such as healthcare, agriculture, education and telecommunications.
He described AI as an “invisible operating layer” that will sit at the heart of networks and digital infrastructure, enabling smarter and more autonomous systems.
He noted that AI was the centerpiece of conversations across the globe and this was the case at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a few weeks back.
Pal emphasized that many organizations are still struggling to fully realize AI’s potential.
He illustrated this with a simple analogy: the “kitchen”.
While the ingredients ie data, technology, and talent, are available, many organizations lack the readiness in their systems, processes and culture to “serve” AI effectively.
“The ingredients are extraordinary,” he said. “But if the kitchen is not ready, the meal will not reach the table.”
This readiness includes clean, well-governed data systems, strong governance frameworks, integration of AI into core operations and a shift in organizational culture from experimentation to execution.
Pal also outlined Safaricom’s approach to AI, anchored on five key pillars:
- Trusted networks and trusted data
- Agentic AI systems capable of acting autonomously within defined limits
- Operational intelligence to predict and optimize network performance
- Customer empathy at scale
- Open collaboration across ecosystems
According to Pal, these pillars are designed to ensure that AI is not just powerful, trustworthy, reliable and aligned with user needs.
AI in telecommunications can be used to detect potential network failures before they occur, automatically resolve issues even before customers are affected and improve service delivery through real-time optimization.
AI is also transforming how people work beyond the infrastructure.
Pal emphasized that AI should be seen as a partner that enhances human capability.
“AI amplifies human potential,” he said. “It frees people from repetitive tasks and creates space for creativity, innovation, and better judgment.”
AI is beneficial but also introduces risks around data quality, trust and governance.
Pal closed with a clear message saying that the future of AI is already here but success will depend on preparation.
“The question is not whether AI will change Kenya,” he said.
“The question is whether we are ready to build and serve what our people need.”
As Kenya positions itself in the global AI economy, the focus will shift from excitement to execution.
We will be covering Decode 4.0 for the next couple of days and you can follow us on Social Media to learn more. Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn and Telegram.
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