Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has cautioned university researchers and students on overdependence on Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that it has the potential to embarrass human beings.

He made the appeal yesterday at the 2024 University Lecture organised by the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), entitled: ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanities’.
     
While noting that the fusion of AI and humans is inseparable, the UNILORIN ex-vice chancellor advised that its adoption within the academic environment must be carefully considered as a result of the ethical dilemma that it poses.
   
“One of the ethical problems of AI is that it has the potential to embarrass human being. If you don’t know your subject very well, don’t go to AI before you start misleading humanity. This is because AI, like GPT, is quick to give answer and may give answer in a wrong direction.

“You need to know the subject so that you can be helped otherwise, you are going to create confusion, and you can imagine a student who will go to ChatGPT to lift answer from AI. Such student has already failed because he doesn’t know the subject,” he clarified.
   
Oloyede continued: “Another serious issue with AI is the danger of hallucination, generating historical inaccuracies, as well as evidences that do not exist at all.
 
“Because many of us are in a hurry and we don’t read, we don’t see that what is written after supplying answers, which says ‘search again or take note’, meaning that it can make mistake.”
   
The JAMB boss also warned that the lack of proper regulation on usage of AI within the academic environment might breed laziness and decline in critical thinking among academics and students.
 
He announced that deepfake, as one of AI technologies introduced in 2017, had caused tremendous influence in humanity, where content or image is digitally manipulated to deceive individuals.

Oloyede noted that as of September 2019, an AI firm, Deeptrace, found 15,000 deepfake videos online, lamenting that this has had severe implications on humanity.

To maintain quality learning and research output in the universities, he urged the ivory towers to develop ethical guidance for usage of AI and incorporate AI literacy as part of humanity education.
   
The don added: “Emphasis should be on human and AI collaboration because if we leave AI alone, it will destroy all of us, and if we don’t use it, it may destroy us. We must know how to manage and allow human to be in control.”

In another development, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, eulogised the JAMB helmsman as turns 70 today. He described him as an astute administrator, educator, author and scholar.

According to the President, who is observing his vacation in the United Kingdom, Oloyede’s invaluable contributions to the nation through academia and public-sector administration have significantly impacted the academic community. 

Tinubu added: “His impactful tenure at the University of Ilorin, during which he introduced landmark ideas and innovations that helped the institution attain enviable heights, is on record.

“Through patriotic dedication and commitment to his craft, Prof. Oloyede imparted knowledge and character to thousands of students who underwent his teaching during his glorious and impactful academic career.”