UNILAG don says AI can’t take over certain jobs

Professor of Labour Economy at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Olukemi Lawanson, has said it will be difficult for Artificial Intelligence to completely replace some jobs or professionals.

She identified some of those jobs and professionals to include human resources managers, priests and clergymen, writers, surgeons, occupational therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists, professional singers, judges and lawyers, sportsmen and women, politicians, event planners, chief executive officers, computer system analysts, teachers, occupational therapists, business intelligence analysts, engineering, leadership roles, artists and designers, IT professionals, customer service and support positions and a host of others.

She explained that AI (which she referred to as robotics) could only aid and enhance performance in those jobs and not replace them.

According to her, AI is a machine with programmed activities that will not be able to govern people, just as the politicians do, for example, with emotions, empathy, decision-making and so forth.

She also noted that machines could not equally totally exhibit the same characteristics as human beings, such as gesticulation, stress, emotions, ability to comprehend problems within the human mind, ability to create and innovate new ideas, motivate, coordinate, negotiate and empathise, among others as applicable to different professionals when carrying out their activities.

“So robots will never be able to truly replace most of these jobs, rather will only aid and enhance them,” she stressed

Prof Lawanson shared these thoughts and perspectives on Wednesday while delivering the seventh inaugural lecture of UNILAG under the current academic session.

She spoke on the topic: ‘To everything, there is a season: The perspectives of a labour economist.”

In her remarks at the event, the Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics & Research), Prof Bola Oboh, eulogized the virtues of the inaugural lecturer, describing her as a great researcher.