The Society for Professional Background Screeners (SPBS) has urged employers, regulators and industry stakeholders to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital identity technologies in recruitment, warning that unchecked automation risks undermining fairness, accountability and public trust.

The body, however, acknowledged that AI is transforming background verification by enabling faster, more accurate checks, but cautioned against overdependence on algorithms at the expense of human judgment.

Executive Secretary of SPBS, Aregbe Arafat, stressed that technological progress must be matched by ethical standards.

Arafat, however, emphasised that such technologies should complement and not replace professional expertise, saying that human oversight remains indispensable in safeguarding privacy, minimising bias and ensuring fairness throughout the recruitment process.

SPBS, therefore, urged organisations deploying AI-driven recruitment systems to establish clear accountability frameworks that promote transparency and responsible use of emerging technologies.

It maintained that the future of background screening would be defined not by technology alone but also by how effectively organisations combine innovation with professional competence, ethical governance and regulatory compliance.

The Society, which stated that AI and digital identity solutions should serve as strategic tools that strengthen informed decision-making, enhance due diligence and improve the integrity of recruitment processes rather than becoming substitutes for professional responsibility, reaffirmed its commitment to advancing professional standards across the industry.

SPBS, therefore, pledged to continue promoting responsible screening practices while supporting initiatives that strengthen trust in recruitment across Nigeria and the wider African market.