IT Expert Advocates Artificial Intelligence
An Information Technology (IT) expert, Mr Jide Awe, has called for concerted planning for smooth take-off of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country.
Awe made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
He said that the call became necessary because of the 2030 prediction by Dell Technologies which, he said, might come through.
He said that Nigeria should be prepared.
It would be recalled that Dell Technologies predicted that 2030 would be the next era of human/machine partnerships.
It said that global research showed that by 2030, emerging technologies would forge human partnerships with machines richer and more immersive, thereby, helping to surpass human limitations.
“There is a tendency that AI will take over a lot of jobs due to the changes in the society and economy with the introduction of AI, though this is a prediction that may or may not be.
“It is a matter of planning for it and being aware of what is possible.
“AI, so far, tries to limit human beings and are more useful for things that are labour intensive.
“Definitely, there will be an impact on jobs, but it is a phase in technology, and there is nothing new because there was a time that people had to go far places and queue to make calls.
“Now, there is no need to go to those places and, at present, the jobs of those that operated phone booths have been lost,’’ he said.
Awe advised the Federal Government to embark on strategic research that would guide the citizenry on areas of importance in the future.
“Areas such as teaching, creativity that machine could not go into.’’
According to Awe, because of the powerful nature of AI, it is expedient that computer scientists are tutored on ethical values so as not to put up machines that will be destructive.
“There is need for more attention when one is going into creating these machines and getting involved in AI.
“We should not be interested only in the power of the new technology, but ensure that at every step of development, we are keeping with the ethical safeguard.
“Students should be taught not be machine-oriented, but to know that machine should work for them and not them working for machine.
“When innovation comes into play in an environment, some jobs will be lost and others created; thus, the need to plan,” he said.
