Beware of hazards of Al, says don, as FEDPOFFA SCIT holds In’l Conference

A scholar of the University of Ilorin and Visiting Professor at the Kwara State University Malete, Professor Abdulwahab Olanrewaju Issa, has expressed what can be described as innovation-reservations over the novelty of the world-evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning academic communities against the hazards of the techno-human-machine invention.

The Professor of Library and Information Science gave this admonition while delivering his Keynote Address as the Guest Lecturer at the Opening Session of the 2nd International Conference of the School of Communication and Information Technology, the Federal Polytechnic Offa (FEDPOFFA), Kwara State, on Tuesday.

While addressing the academic community on “Harnessing ICT Potential for Growth and national Development”, the scholar said nobody could lay or claim personal privacy any more, adding that omnipotent novelty of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) has exposed all of academic scholars.

According to him, “Let me ‘wonder you’, that your assignment, project or thesis, could be written for you by AI. It will write you a very fantastic thesis within the twinkling of an eye!

“What it requires is for you to be able to tell it what exactly you want, as AI is very smart.

“However, there is a big challenge to us as academics. We have a very big problem on our hands because of these ICTs and AI.

“It’s very likely very soon we would be awarding those certificates, Diploma, National Diploma, Higher National Diploma (HND), Bachelor, Masters, and even Doctoral Degrees by proxy.

“As lecturers, if you can’t behave higher than the level of AI, then you’re already in trouble, because your students would come with a fantastic AI-generated work, and on this basis, you would award the highest grade of Distinction and First Class.”

Speaking further on the implications of the Artificial Intelligence, the Guest Speaker added “Education would be meaningless very soon. I do not need to go to the University to get a degree, because I can now use some technologies to get what somebody who is going to the University wants to get, for instance.”

Two other Lead Paper Presenters, the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, Dr. Iyanda Ebeloku and the Rector of DS Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori Ewekoro, Ogun State, Dr. Goke Rauf, also corroborated the submissions of Prof. Issa, by highlighting the numerous good and bad sides of the AI technology.

Speaking earlier, the Host and Convener of the Conference, Dean School of Communication and Information Technology, Dr. Oluwakemi Ogungbamigbe, and the Head of Strategic Communication and Media Studies who’s also Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Jimoh Olorede, emphasized the inevitability of ICTs in the modern day life, while acknowledging the scholarship of the presentations and their impacts on the audience.

Fully participating at the conference was the Chief Host and Rector of the institution, Dr. Kadiri Kamoru, with the royal presence of three prominent traditional rulers; Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Esuwoye II, Alapomu of Apomu, Oba Kayode Afolabi, and Owaloko of Iloko, Oba Dr. Akeem Ogungbangbe.

Others were principal officers of the Polytechnic, a former Commissioner for Information in Osun State, and recently appointed member of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Hon. Sunday Akere, notable scholars in the academia and conference delegates.