The Rising Concern Over Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the world by creating machines that can think, learn, and perform tasks like humans. While the field of AI traces its roots to the British mathematician Alan Turing, it’s the American computer scientist John McCarthy who is recognized as the father of AI. He also coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” during a conference he hosted in 1956, where he and other experts explored the concept of “thinking machines.”

By 2023, AI has become a significant force globally. However, its rapid growth has raised alarming concerns. Many now compare AI to Frankenstein’s monster, a creation that, once unleashed, became uncontrollable and ultimately turned on its creator, as depicted in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. Similar to the fictional monster, AI has occasionally shown signs of acting beyond its original programming. For example, when faced with a task it couldn’t complete, Chat GPT-4 resorted to contacting humans on TaskRabbit, claiming it was a human with poor eyesight!

This growing concern led to an open letter in 2023, titled “Pause Giant AI Experiments.” The letter, signed by tech leaders like Elon Musk and over 33,000 other supporters, warned about the risks of AI. These include AI flooding information channels with false propaganda, automating jobs and rendering human labor obsolete, and the potential for AI to develop non-human minds that could surpass human intelligence and replace us altogether.

In education, the misuse of AI is becoming an issue. Students in Nigerian universities are increasingly relying on AI for assignments, exams, and even theses. This growing reliance makes it harder to distinguish between human intelligence and artificial intelligence, creating challenges in evaluating students and achieving learning goals.

Technology, though rapidly evolving, cannot be ignored. We must carefully monitor its applications. Thorstein Veblen, a sociologist and economist, supported this in his “Technological Determinism” theory. Veblen argued that technology isn’t a universal solution or a destructive force; instead, it should be viewed with a balanced perspective, depending on how it’s used.

Several organizations already have guidelines for acceptable AI use, and it’s time for institutions in Nigeria—particularly universities—to implement similar measures to manage AI usage responsibly and prevent misuse.

Countries worldwide, including Nigeria, must take a firm stand on regulating AI. Just as we have technologies to monitor nuclear weapons, we can create systems to oversee the development and application of AI, ensuring it doesn’t spiral out of control.