University don Peter Kagwanja has expressed concern over the growing reliance on AI technology and systems that can perform tasks requiring human-like intelligence, citing its impact on the quality of students coming through institutions of higher learning.

Speaking in a local TV interview on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, the professor decried how students could now generate PhD theses in hours through the AI model called ChatGPT.

He stated that the models have succeeded in shifting the challenge from generating a thesis to downloading one.

Generating PhD

“We have had a debate on how to supervise academic theses by university students when you can now generate them through ChatGPT.”

“You can now literally generate a PhD thesis in hours. It used to take us years, but now a techno-savvy individual can do it in minutes. The problem is now the downloading part as opposed to the producing,” he stated.

The AI technology involves the development of computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Computer and Cybercrimes Bill

Speaking on the topic of technology and its advancement, Kagwanja stated that technology ought to be embraced in a manner that encourages independent thinking devoid of machine input.

He noted that universities and other spaces of learning have had to step up to be abreast of the emergence of new laws, including those being enacted in the Senate.

“We have cases where, while enacting the laws, you could be encroaching on people’s individual freedom space again, but are we producing minds that think for the nation and think independently, not just those that are only technology dependent?” he posed.

Kagwanja also commented on the implications of the recently passed Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Amendment Bill 2024, noting how the bills recently passed by President William Ruto could impact the country’s political landscape.

“The over-ranking issue that concerns Kenya is that we have to legislate the space of technology and cyber crimes, but in the context of our political environment.

“We do not want a new law to criminalise the opposition or be used to manipulate our elections in 2027,” he stated.

“The time we have to protect our space is now. Look at a situation where Raila is dead and someone like Uhuru is not there. Then we need to approach with caution, and that is why the concern is out there,” he added.