A non-governmental organisation, the Nigeria Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence (NRCAI), in partnership with the Future of Life Institute, has conducted a one-day training session focused on AI and Religion for journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The coalition, which includes both Christian and Islamic religious leaders, also provided training to the journalists on how to effectively report NRCAI’s stance on minimising AI reliance in Nigeria.
At the training, the convener, Very Rev. Kolade Fadahunsi, and the Director of the Christian Council of Nigeria Institute of Church and Society in Ibadan, said that the goal of the program is to encourage journalists to think about how Artificial Intelligence is used in Nigeria.
He said, “This training is to encourage journalists to think about the use of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria. We want to make sure that the Artificial Intelligence used in Nigeria is fair, honest and transparent. We also want to make sure that it does not hurt our humanity for people of God in this country”.
He also said that the use of Artificial Intelligence should not cause problems or divide people. Instead, it should help people. Make sure that God is supreme and humanity is in control of machines.
He stressed that “We do not want Artificial Intelligence that makes people less intelligent or less in control. We also do not want Artificial Intelligence that’s too powerful and can control humans. As journalists, we want people to think critically and not just accept things that they cannot verify”.
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He encouraged the journalists to fact-check. Work against fake news, especially when reporting about the Nigerian Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence and its members. He does not want the journalists to change the story and make the Nigerian Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence seem like something it’s not.
He advised the government to make sure that the Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency, or NITDA, and other agencies are doing their job to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence in the country. He wants them to implement the plans that are already in place, like the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025, which talks about setting up a group of Artificial Intelligence experts and a commission to oversee the use of Artificial Intelligence.
He explained that the Nigerian Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence wants to make sure that Artificial Intelligence is used in a way that’s fair, compassionate and respectful of human dignity.
In an interview with the Chief Imam of Imo State, Alhaji Suleiman Yusuf Njoku, said that journalists have a responsibility to spread the truth and to be honest in their reporting. He encouraged them to make sure that what they report is accurate and fair.
He said, “As a journalist, you will be accountable for what you report, not to people but also to God. So you should think of your work as a way of serving God. If you do, you will be rewarded in the afterlife”.
