Digital Identity

With priority direction given towards the development of global digital economy, the application of AI in identity verification processes is one of the most promising fields, where the contribution of agility, scalability, and security should allow the development of a series of new habits and the creation of a plural digital culture, because of the sum of the conscious contribution of multiple people. We have been swamped with conversations around ethics, diversity, and inclusion from tech titans around digital identity in recent months.

The relevance of data privacy policies follows the African Union strategic objective to develop digital products and services based on achieving a constructive balance between the geopolitical need for governance, robustness, security and resilience of information systems and the reinforcement of privacy, protection of data. Yet, sadly, we still at 6 adopted data privacy amongst 54 states in the continent. 

In the adjustment between the speed of implementation of the innovation in software and hardware, with the review and accommodation of the legal-legal framework balance must be reached. Speed of execution and balance is no different in Africa than rest of the globe. Look at the latest FINTECH BOOM.

Despite efforts from the startup economy, we still experience the exponential widening gap between technology and policy. Speed involves all industrial and service sectors, public and private, and requires that the steps of identification, authentication and authorization for digital products and services are present in the consciousness of all users of mobile or web applications or of digital things.

Creative impulse and digital industrial policies, maybe the answer that lies between balancing best of both worlds.

Currently, the information or disclosure on how commercial profiling of digital identity, is carried out is unclear for many of its users. Massively thanks to the advancement of AI. Although the Protection of Private Information Act (POPIA) and the general data protection regulation (GDPR) is present, its application constantly creates controversy in the balance of some organizations between the cost of the digital architecture review, the commercial benefits, and the penalty for non-compliance.  

 Like an unexpected wind, the discovery of ethically questionable behaviors has started a trend followed by many citizens who already avoid using digital services for fear of potential threats to their privacy or manipulation due to the toxicity of consumption or replication of false information. But this fear-based wind may steer this sailboat into an unwanted port, the advancement of the digital gap. A gap that isolates and destroys opportunities to improve knowledge and quality of life.

 What makes up digital identification? The model goes beyond the essential digital signature used in relevant digital exchanges. Real-Time, Voice, Facial, Iris, Palm recognition and more, biometrics add to the ‘newer’ ways of verification. The future design of smart contracts combined with AI engines will allow this activation of digital services frictionless for the user, guaranteeing privacy and autonomy of choice and action to the owner of the attributes. Yes, CRYPTO, FINTECH and Cyber Security are some known applications. Not yet perfected the digital identity space. The race is still on digital identity. 

 Thus, several high innovation elements arise, in the creation of digital wallets and the custody of credentials, in the collaboration between public and multiple private sectors. Perhaps custodianship should lie with the data creators themselves. Authentication and authorization can be developed in custom voice assistants and ultra-high-resolution images with AI privacy designs.

Era of convergence and evolution within blockchain with arms from AI and IoT. Using decentralized networks, the learning models can be trained locally in various countries. Moreover, only the enhancements can be combined in the cloud without exchanging sensitive data. Aggregated into a global model that can be refined with updates. This architecture would make it possible to democratize data privacy without renouncing the power of AI, gaining balance in the jibing manoeuvre.

Continuing the journey in the era of liquid love, with the opportunity to develop a balanced, sustainable world in wealth and health that could begin with the development of industrial policies, encouraging the economy within the framework of the Digital Identity based on fundamental ethical values, as a common creative functional impulse of digital, and legal knowledge that liquidity minimize the risks. Our good navigators into our digital selves. 

 Author’s note: In this article we seek to understand the next impact - digital identity