Ethiopian Member of Parliament Dr. Negeri Lencho (Negeri Lencho, PhD) will represent Ethiopia at the II BRICS Forum "Traditional Values," which will be held from September 15 to 17, 2025, at the National Congress of Brazil (Brasilia).
Dr. Lencho is the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Resource Development, Labor and Technology Affairs of Ethiopia's parliament. He has also chaired the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Peace of the House of People’s Representatives and served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Communications. Over his career, Dr. Lencho has held a number of senior positions in government administration as well as in academia, including as head and assistant professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Addis Ababa University.
As part of the forum, Dr. Lencho will participate in major round tables, including:
- "Artificial Intelligence: Regulation and Joint Development by BRICS Countries";
- "BRICS Entrepreneurs Alliance: Building a Trust System Based on Shared Traditional Values and the Value of Serving Society";
- "Humanitarian Cooperation: Success Stories and Country Needs Presentations from BRICS Members".
Dr. Lencho is the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Human Resource Development, Labor and Technology Affairs of Ethiopia's parliament. He has also chaired the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Peace of the House of People’s Representatives and served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Communications. Over his career, Dr. Lencho has held a number of senior positions in government administration as well as in academia, including as head and assistant professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Addis Ababa University.
As part of the forum, Dr. Lencho will participate in major round tables, including:
- "Artificial Intelligence: Regulation and Joint Development by BRICS Countries";
- "BRICS Entrepreneurs Alliance: Building a Trust System Based on Shared Traditional Values and the Value of Serving Society";
- "Humanitarian Cooperation: Success Stories and Country Needs Presentations from BRICS Members".
During the AI round table, Dr. Lencho will deliver a report on the role of artificial intelligence in safeguarding traditional values and national sovereignty. He will address the challenges of information warfare, the proliferation of deepfakes and manipulative technologies facing Ethiopia, and the need for joint development of international AI regulatory standards, ethical norms, and coordination of BRICS countries’ efforts for the safe implementation of new technologies. Particular attention will be paid to issues of digital sovereignty, prevention of unfair competition, and the development of digital knowledge exchange. Among the priorities are the implementation of AI in education and healthcare—areas crucial to Ethiopia’s national development.
Dr. Negeri Lencho notes:
"In this era of rapid technological progress, it is especially important for BRICS to set an example in uniting efforts for the ethical regulation of new technologies. The protection of our traditional values and national sovereignty is impossible without close cooperation and the development of common standards for artificial intelligence. The complexity and reach of AI transcend national borders, making regional and international cooperation imperative. Ethiopia strongly supports the creation of a unified framework within BRICS for AI governance — encompassing legal, ethical, infrastructural, and technological dimensions. Only in this way can we use modern technologies for the benefit of our peoples and future generations."
"In this era of rapid technological progress, it is especially important for BRICS to set an example in uniting efforts for the ethical regulation of new technologies. The protection of our traditional values and national sovereignty is impossible without close cooperation and the development of common standards for artificial intelligence. The complexity and reach of AI transcend national borders, making regional and international cooperation imperative. Ethiopia strongly supports the creation of a unified framework within BRICS for AI governance — encompassing legal, ethical, infrastructural, and technological dimensions. Only in this way can we use modern technologies for the benefit of our peoples and future generations."
Boris Tarasov, co-founder, executive director and producer of the BRICS Forum "Traditional Values," and the chairman of the World Association "True Values," commented:
"Growing interest in the BRICS Forum 'Traditional Values' from partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America confirms the global demand for a values-based approach to international cooperation. Our goal is to create a sustainable platform for dialogue, where representatives from different countries can jointly find answers to the most pressing ethical and humanitarian challenges of our time, so that technological progress not only does not destroy, but, on the contrary, strengthens the foundations that unite our societies.
Simply put, before the onset of singularity, AI is like a child who must still be raised, and the principles and values we instill in it today can bring both benefit and harm to humanity. Among the risks and challenges posed by this technology, I would highlight: the development of digital dementia—risk of losing critical thinking and independent analysis skills; issues of truth and trust in politics and society, as two-thirds of online content is already created by bots and the number of deepfakes is growing exponentially; degenerative tendencies in personal development—a loss of soft skills and the ability to communicate offline. These are just some of the challenges on the surface; the topic will be discussed in more depth at the Forum’s Round Table dedicated to the development and regulation of artificial intelligence."
"Growing interest in the BRICS Forum 'Traditional Values' from partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America confirms the global demand for a values-based approach to international cooperation. Our goal is to create a sustainable platform for dialogue, where representatives from different countries can jointly find answers to the most pressing ethical and humanitarian challenges of our time, so that technological progress not only does not destroy, but, on the contrary, strengthens the foundations that unite our societies.
Simply put, before the onset of singularity, AI is like a child who must still be raised, and the principles and values we instill in it today can bring both benefit and harm to humanity. Among the risks and challenges posed by this technology, I would highlight: the development of digital dementia—risk of losing critical thinking and independent analysis skills; issues of truth and trust in politics and society, as two-thirds of online content is already created by bots and the number of deepfakes is growing exponentially; degenerative tendencies in personal development—a loss of soft skills and the ability to communicate offline. These are just some of the challenges on the surface; the topic will be discussed in more depth at the Forum’s Round Table dedicated to the development and regulation of artificial intelligence."
Dr. Negeri Lencho's participation in the BRICS Forum underscores Ethiopia’s commitment to promoting dialogue on the ethical introduction of new technologies and preserving cultural and traditional values at the global level.