Islamic Leader Asks National Assembly To Regulate Use Of AI

The Chief Imam of Imo State, Barr Suleiman Yusuf Njoku, has appealed to the National Assembly to enact a law to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria.

Njoku made the call at a one-day training for journalists in the South-South geopolitical zone on effective reporting on AI, organised by the Nigeria Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence (NRCAI) in Port Harcourt.

He said, “We are begging the National Assembly to make laws to regulate the use of AI in the country. There should be punishment for those who abuse it. There should be punishment for any offender. Very important.”

Speaking on the topic; “Ethical Position on AI from Islamic Perspective”, the Chief Imam emphasised moderation in the use of technology to avoid its negative impact.

“Our purpose for being on earth is to represent God and then to do things that please God, live a righteous life. So, if AI were to lead us away from the true position, from the true reason why we are here, it’s not allowed because after everything, the AI will go and then we will die and come back to God.

“So, what will we tell God? We will say AI that was invented or manufactured by those who make a profit from it has now deviated for us from the true teaching or from the true meaning of why God created us. That means we have lost everything,” Njoku said.

In his presentation, the director, Institute of Church and Society, Ibadan, Very Rev Kolade Fadahunsi, called for the decoloniality of AI in Nigeria, stating that the technology poses a threat as it has the capability of replacing humans in terms of worship and work.

Fadahunsi, who observed that there is no penalty for any misuse, said, “Everybody uses what he or she finds, especially as it is a new technology, which is presently affecting the fabrics of our society, morally, ethically, value and representation as a people.”

He emphasised that Artificial Intelligence that will come to Nigeria must serve humanity and protect the dignity of Nigerians.