AI will create jobs, not losses – NAAIP

The Nationwide Affiliation of Synthetic Intelligence Practitioners on Wednesday allayed fears over potential job losses arising from the rising use of synthetic intelligence, saying the know-how will create extra employment alternatives moderately than render Nigerians jobless.

The reassurance was given on the 2026 AI Consciousness Day held in Abuja. The affiliation, based by former Appearing Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof Peter Okebukola, mentioned Nigeria should transfer from being mere customers of overseas AI instruments to producers of indigenous knowledge and options.

Addressing journalists, the NAAIP President, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, dismissed speculations that AI would result in mass unemployment. “AI won’t render some individuals jobless, as speculated by some individuals. It’s similar to once we used typewriters in these days, after which computer systems got here alongside. It didn’t render anyone jobless.

“If you’re not in tune with developments in AI, you’ll change into jobless. In reality, AI is creating extra jobs. For individuals who transfer with AI and are conversant with what’s going on, they are going to proceed to retain their job.

“At present, some entrepreneurs and customers of social media are sitting within the consolation of their rooms and incomes some huge cash utilizing AI. So, it’s creating extra jobs.”

He, nevertheless, expressed concern over Nigeria’s reliance on overseas knowledge to energy AI methods. “Nevertheless, we rely solely on knowledge that’s truly harvested from outdoors the nation. That’s why NAAIP is creating consciousness and insisting that as a nation, we’ve to generate our personal knowledge.

“Even the widespread ones we’re utilizing now, just like the Chatbot and ChatGPT, the background knowledge driving it’s primarily not our personal. And that’s why you discover that a few of the info popping out of it might probably not apply on to us.

“So we’re calling on all Nigerians to work with us to make sure that we’re not simply customers but in addition individuals who will innovate and generate our personal.

“So we’ve the info to have the ability to do this. However we merely want the help of our personal individuals. And we’d like your help to have the ability to do this. We now have the wherewithal to do it. We simply merely want the help.”

Ogunbodede additionally famous a rising hole between college students and lecturers in using AI instruments. “In most Nigerian universities now, just about all the scholars use AI. Then again, it’s not all of the lecturers who can use AI,” he mentioned.

Additionally talking, the Vice-Chancellor of the Nationwide Open College of Nigeria, Prof Uduma Orji Uduma, who was represented by Prof Monioluwa Olaniyi, mentioned AI utilization in Nigeria had grown considerably.

“The present knowledge offered by Google says that 93 per cent of Nigerians who’ve entry to smartphones are lively customers of synthetic intelligence.

“It’s also mentioned that 80 per cent of the customers are deploying it to resolve complicated matters. Whether or not we prefer it or not, just about everyone is actively utilizing AI. So it means synthetic intelligence is now well-liked in Nigeria and likewise makes us one of many largest markets for it.”

In his remarks, NAAIP Vice-President (North-West), Prof Nasiru Maiturare, urged stakeholders to take possession of Nigeria’s AI growth.

“We now have a duty by way of the affiliation and stakeholders to make sure that we develop and direct our personal AI intelligence transformation in Nigeria.

“In any other case, we’ll find yourself being victims. Another individuals will plan it after which deploy it in a fashion that will probably be detrimental to our personal pursuits,” he mentioned.