3 hours ago
2
The Nigeria Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence, NRCA, has called on the government to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence, AI.
The religious leaders pointed out that AI has been provided by God to ease the daily activities of man but added that there could be enormous damage when it is left uncontrolled.
According to them, Nigeria and other African countries must be able to regulate and determine what comes into their space and what is allowed in their technological environment.
In partnership with the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the Religious Coalition made this position known during a one-day training on artificial intelligence ethics designed to equip journalists with practical knowledge on responsible AI use, ethical considerations, and emerging digital standards in Abuja on Thursday.
They also believe that religious leaders should have a formal say in how artificial intelligence is regulated.
Speaking, Rt. Rev. Evans Onyemara, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Nigeria, noted that human beings are made in the image of God, and that apart from human beings, there is nothing else that God has given prominence in creation. He said human beings should control every other thing and ensure orderliness in the universe.
“So we believe that human beings should deploy things like artificial intelligence in ways that will enhance the common good and our existence and not put us into harm or harm’s way. It is therefore important that the country adopts strategies and regulations that will ensure that the use of AI in the country is properly regulated.
“We can regulate what we use in Nigeria, and we can also help to co-create the kind of AI that we require and need for our use as a nation.”
Asked if AI should be used scripturally, the clergy added, “Well, I wouldn’t want you to push me to that philosophy of saying AI should be used scripturally, because what we are asking for is ethical use. And when we talk about ethics, we are looking at the rightness and wrongness of every action.”
Also speaking, Mallam Yusuf Ahmed Bida, Administrative Secretary of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, noted that there are four essential components to the deployment or usage of AI from the Islamic perspective.
According to him, this includes sincerity in its use without abusing it or making it harmful to the community using it.
“It should not harm you yourself,” he said.
He added that anything that would lead to mistrust in the usage of AI or cause problems must be avoided.
“And you should have a feeling of mercy and accountability. You should know that it is a form of mercy from God Almighty to us so that these things can ease our work. We should also know that we will be accountable.
“We will be accountable on the Day of Judgment for every act of engagement we have with AI, just as we are accountable in our lives in terms of regulation.”
He added that the government must understand the dangers associated with AI.
“They should not open up Nigerian space. When I say Nigerian space, I mean the Nigerian technological space, to all sorts of things. There should be serious checks on the part of the government.
“Not everything should be deployed into the Nigerian technological space or science and technology sector. There should be serious scrutiny. Government must be firm in its decisions on matters of AI. If not, it will be disruptive in the near future, just as we have seen in some countries where even the use of AI for research has been seriously regulated.”
