Beware Of Data, Digital Colonialisms, Professor Toyin Falola Warn Nigerians, Africans

By Joseph Sunday 

Nigerians and Africans in general have been warned to be wary of the pre-eminence of Data and Digital Colonialisms in the Country and in the Continent by foreigners.

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A Nigerian Professor based in the University of Texas, United States of America, Professor Toyin Falola has warned the citizens of Nigeria and Africa as a Country and a Continent to be careful for those promoting Artificial Intelligence, AI.

Delivering the Convocation Lecture on the topic: “Data Colonialism: Artificial Intelligence and the African Agency in an Emergency Future”, the Guest Lecturer, Professor Toyin Falola pointed out that Artificial Intelligence has brought many developments, new dynamics and birth new era of global competition and supremacy marked by data extraction and digitalization. 

The International Professor of African Studies made the above assertions on Thursday while speaking at the 35th Convocation Lecture of Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Auditorium. 

He defined Artificial Intelligence as the ability to use digital computers to perform tasks that human beings are supposed to carry out. 

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Adding, he said, artificial intelligence has enabled technologies to solve human problems relating to learning and  reasoning as well as perception and language. 

The Guest Lecturer posited that, the fourth industrial revolution gave rise to the digital age and the real driving force is knowledge. He also stated that knowledge in the digital age has been advanced. 

“The introduction of Artificial Intelligence has given human beings the privilege of manufacturing babies in the laboratory. It has also afford us to cultivate and grow crops without the usage of land”

Professor Falola also predicted that through Artificial Intelligence, there may not be the need for a surgeon to do surgery again, as machines would have taking over such their roles. 

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According to Professor Falola, he said, in years to come, destructive machines and technology to be used will become invincible to humans. At the time, the goggle would have been able to be used to see or view anything from anywhere and track down computers. 

He identify ways of correcting the existence of the Artificial Intelligence to include: adopting our own culture in Africa and create a space for it in the artificial intelligence world, by de-emphasizing the introduction of mental colonisation and rejecting the foreign culture and way of life among others. 

The renowned Professor of the University of Texas, Toyin Falola equally advocated that the Management of Adeyemi Federal University of Education should embrace the use of artificial intelligence by creating and establishing a Digital Institute, combine human intelligence with machine intelligence, change the Institution’s Teaching Pedagogies by encouraging the students to show and develop interest, convert historical culture of a place like Ondo to knowledge zone and ensuring we don’t loose our ancestral intelligence. 

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Dignitaries present at the convocation lecture includes the Osemawe and Paramount Ruler of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Dr Victor Adesimbo Kiladejo; the former Provost of the Defunct Adeyemi College of Education, Professor Idowu Adeyemi; the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, His Royal Highness, Hajia Ganiyat Adeola Yusuf  

the AFUED Alumni National President, Dr Olowogboyega Oyebade, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Samuel Akintunde among several others. 

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