Catholic Bishop ,stakeholders lament on negative impact of Artificial Intelligence in Human development.
Says AI can’t replace human intelligence
By The NewsPostage, Osogbo
The Catholic Bishop of Oshogbo Diocese Most Reverend Dr Akin John Oyejola has said that there is no way Artificial intelligence can replace human intelligence as such technology will only assist in human delevolopment.
He caution the people expecially the young once to use internet technology to do useful things rather that using it to cause confusion in the society .
This year Edition of the World communication theme is titled : “Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart: Towards fully human .
The Bishop said the theme is chosen in recognition of the fast development of technology in the world we live today and how it is influencing and impacting human interpersonal communication.
According to him “indeed.com”, Artificial intelligence, or AI, is an emerging field that combines computer science and data sets to solve problems. AI involves computers that conduct tasks normally done by people, such as natural language processing, translation, image recognition, and other kinds of decisions.
“Artificial intelligence (AI), in its broadest sense, is intelligence exhibited by machines, particularly computer systems. This is according to Wikipedia.
In essence, AI is basically possession of intellectual capacity by something other than human or animal which its existence in itself is an invention of human intellect.
“That is, the very creation of AI comes from human programming. This has been used to posits by some proponents against AI that it is not computer or machine intelligence in the real sense of it as the supposed intelligence originates from humans and this intelligence is a product of what is seen, heard, touched and smelled.
“And so, computer or machines are creation of human to perform tasks that would ordinarily be done by humans, such as driving of vehicles, conduct of research, human communications, solving of simple or complex problems and so on. There is no end to the human application of AI as it remains one of the fastest developing field of technology today.
“In the world today, AI is being applied in daily human communication and communication itself is believed to be very essential to the coexistence of humans. It is the very foundation of every human relationship.
The Man of God hinted that as humans, we are created to communicate. It is the basis of all human interactions. It is how we pass information to other people, and in turn, receive and interpret what is being said back to us which is generally formed by the environment and culture.
No doubt that application of AI in communications has transformative impacts.
He disclosed that communication helps in bringing coherence, efficiency and fast decision making in human communication.
Whike saying AI is not responsible for itself, but human being is. And so might be used to promote the ideology and belief of those behind it. It might be used to push incomplete information and false narratives and also, to carry out unethical purposes.
“Also, great care must be taken as AI has the potential risk of replacing humans in our life as seen in interpersonal communications among human.
” Already with the radical use of social media, there has been enormous limitations to human interactions even within immediate family and each member of the family preferring to relate with someone 100 kilometres away via social media than to relate or communicate with the one sitting close to him. So also does AI possess the same risk to human in its radical application. ..
“With this, AI must remain a tool for communication and not a substitute for human person. It is important that communication is essentially act of love in which the heart speaks to heart. It is fascinating that the AI is now being applied not just in preparing academic papers but also in preparing homilies
“This to me, utterly remove the Genuineness of the heart of a Priest and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit from the words that proceed from the alter. As Pope Paul admonished that we must see development as anthropocentric, that is, at the service to human, so also AI must be applied to the service of human and not to replace humanity.
“Artificial intelligence may be a tool of communication, but communication is not just a technical operation. It is, more importantly, an act of love, and God is love. Artificial intelligence can become a means of communication, a means of bridging gaps and fostering love, when those who invent and deploy it work for their good by working for the common good, and work for the common good by working for their own good.
” The quest for development is ultimately a manifestation of the human quest for supreme fulfillment in God in whom we find our happiness and comfort. The human is not satisfied with gadgets, even if it makes life more comfortable for us. Our supreme fulfillment is not in the material things we desire, produce, acquire, possess and consume. It is found in meaning, and the meaning is found in God.
It is imperative to reiterate that in the absence of interpersonal communicative relationship, humanity runs the risk of self-annihilation. Its technological accomplishments can easily become weapons of mass destruction. Technology, like any human accomplishment, has the capacity to enable and ennoble humanity.
” They become depersonalizing when they are removed from the sphere of morality. Its deployment must not be at odds with the common good of humanity. It becomes antithetical to the common good when it is solely regulated by material norms of possibility, profitability and pleasurability.
“That is what happens when techniques and ethics are separated. But that is not just true of technology.
Technology without morality is as dangerous as politics without morality. Morality manifests the human quest for what is good.
“Technology devoid of morality will make human a mere commodity for economic loss and profit. Hence, morality and religion are necessary in the deployment of AI as a tool for human communication.
According to Oyejola Christianity teaches that we are created in the image of God, this God is a person who relates and interacts with human beings as persons, and who has fully revealed himself in Jesus his Son who gave his disciples a mandate when he said: “Go out to the whole world, proclaim the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).
The mandate Jesus gave his disciples now has wider implications.
He stated that the world of our time includes cyberspace. Therefore, that missionary mandate compels the Church to go into cyberspace and preach, to go into the world of what is called artificial intelligence, to provide an ethical surveillance of cyberspace, and to make values of the Gospel present in the world of science and technology.
” In all, the use of Artificial Intelligence calls for prudence, that is, right reasons in doing things. The right way to use it is to promote human dignity.
“And this is why Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit that is moving humanity to create things like Artificial Intelligence in order to serve humanity. Left to human inclinations alone, these creations are bound to be misused by humans as the Book of Jeremiah 17:9 says that the heart of man is deceitful and above all things beyond cure.
“However, Jesus has assured us in the Gospel of John 14:26 that “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”. By this, the Holy Spirit will grant us prudency in the application of Artificial Intelligence for the promotion of human dignity”
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Howeever Various stakeholders at this year edition of world communication day held at the St. Benedict Catholic cathedral Church in Osogbo on Sunday lamented effect of technology on human development.
Speakers upon speakers who spoke at the event which was put together by the Catholic Church of Osogbo held at St. Benedict Catharine said that technology as brought laziness to human life.
This world Communication Day is tittle: “Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart: Towards fully human communication”.
Speaking a media expert, Prince Abiodun Lufadeju who was the guest lecturer at the occasion said the truth is that as grouchy as artificial intelligence appears, the human quest for a change or development, or vision is the primary endeavor without which the artificial intelligence cannot make any change on its own.
His words “how does one thing of an agenda as the church is entering this new and evolving era of Artificial Intelligence?
“Clearly Artificial intelligence will help on the soft side of the agenda such as researches, new concept development, simulations of concepts and possibilities. But the truth is that as grouchy as artificial intelligence appears, the human quest for a change or development, or vision is the primary endeavor without which the artificial intelligence cannot make any change on its own.
“Artificial intelligence will help on the soft side of the agenda such as researches, new concept development, simulations of concepts and possibilities.
Also speaking the chairperson of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Osun State chapter, Ms. Bisola Ariwodola said the world is in people’s hand with the usage of phone, enjoin the youth to use their phone for a positive venture
Ariwodola stated that the technology as helps in advancing human development.
However, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Osun State Council, who was represented at the occasion by the union secretary, Adeyemi Aboderin said Artificial Intelligence has brought laziness to the journalism profession
According to him, many journalists (reporters) who are assigned to cover events hardly use their brain to write report rather rely on internet writing report while sitting on their comfort zone.
He, however, said that Artificial Intelligence had helped humanity in making their work easy but the effect of technology among our youths is now taking a worrisome dimension bothering what to be the faith in the next generation of children yet unborn.
