•As Pantami Calls For Regulatory Act
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motomori Kekere-Ekun, on Friday emphasised the need for lawyers to embrace modern technology by imbibing the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in law business.
This is just as the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mallam Isa Pantami, urged the government to make laws that would protect users of AI.
Kekere-Ekun gave the charge in Ilorin, Kwara State, at the opening of the three-day 16th Annual General Conference of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN)
Represented by the presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, Kekere-Ekun, who described the theme of this year’s conference, ‘Artificial Intelligence, Law and Religion in Nigeria’, as apt and timely, said AI is the replication of human intelligence in machines, premeditated to think and act like humans.
“These systems can perform tasks such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding that naturally would involve human intelligence. At present, AI is gradually transforming various sectors globally, including the legal system.
“Significantly, and due to the dynamism of our society, the Nigerian legal system must be kept abreast with this new development so as not to be left behind in adapting to this novel AI in the adjudication of cases in Nigeria,” she stated. She, however, told the participants that they owe it a duty to scrutinise with critical minds before they allow the integration of AI into the legal framework.
In his address, the National President of MULAN, Saidu Muhammadu Tudunwada, said the conference was a reflection of the lawyers’ collective commitment to advancing justice, fostering knowledge, and upholding professional excellence.
“As we witness the emergence of Al systems capable of processing vast legal data and generating legal arguments, we must deeply reflect on the essence of human jurisprudence,” he noted.
In his keynote address, Pantami, who foresaw the likelihood of cyber criminals using the system to defraud innocent citizens, urged governments at all levels to make and domesticate laws guiding and regulating the use of AI as a tool.
According to him, the Federal Government, through the National Assembly, should promulgate a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development and Deployment Act to stem the deployment of AI for committing crimes.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, while declaring the conference open, urged the lawyers to dispense their duties to the society with integrity. Represented by the Attorney-General of the state, Ibrahim Senior Sulyman, the governor explained that his government had constantly encouraged judicial dispensation in the state.
