By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Wednesday in Ilorin tasked African nations to guard against reliance on foreign developed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.
Oloyede stated this while delivering the University of Ilorin Lecture Series entitled: “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanities”.
The registrar who was a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin also cautioned those in the academics who lack adequate knowledge about their subjects, against adopting AI in the quest to seek solution about their subjects so as not to be mislead.
Oloyede allayed the fears that AI will replace humanity, while pointing out that the technology has come to stay.
He however maintained that humanity should be in control of AI “if we will save humanities from perdition.
“African nations need to invest in building their own AI capabilities, so they are not entirely dependent on external powers. By being part of AI’s global development, they can ensure that they are not exploited or left out of future.
“African Telecommunication Unions ATU African Union (AU) Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS, and Smart Africa must lead in the charge in developing AI strategies tailored to be the continent’s specific needs,” he said.
Oloyede observed that these bodies should promote policies that encourage the ethical development and use of AI across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and governance.
He advocated for a collaboration between African countries on AI research and data sharing can help mitigate the risk of relying on foreign developed AI technologies.
Oloyede, also a professor of Islamic studies tasked scholars in the discipline to take up the challenge of generating content for AI to ensure that it contents conforms with fundamental human rights, values, and Islamic doctrines and principles.
“In fields like Islamic studies and Law, AI must be developed with sensitivity to ethical and cultural contexts.
“Universities and scholars should explore how AI can assist in complex tasks like issuing fatwas or navigating legal ethics, while ensuring that AI aligns with fundamental human rights values”, he said.
He advocated the adoption of Hausa sign language as second national official language in Nigeria.
