The Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, at its fifth biennial international conference, on Wednesday, honoured the General editor, Nigerian Tribune, Mr Taiwo Adisa, with a Distinguished Faculty Alumnus award in recognition of his contributions towards academics, humanities and national development.
Other honorees at the event include the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Osun State, Dr Mutiu Agboke, the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Science of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Professor Temisan Ejibuwa, Arc Olumide Eso, and Professor Akinbayo Akinlabi, among others.
Speaking at the conference, Mr Adisa, who alongside, Professor Temisan Ejibuwa and the panel chair, Professor Demola Lewis, in a symposium, x-rayed the complexity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its threats to the humanities.
Mr Adisa, who posited that as much as AI has capacity to imitate human knowledge, it cannot replace human creativity, adding however that there was the need to rejig the teaching of humanities to the emphasise interdisciplinary nature of the humanities.
He also said that courses and curriculum in the humanities must imbibe the tenets of technology such that graduates of humanities are not left in the adaptation of technology for professional practice.
He regretted the extinction of science and technology beats in most Nigerian media outlets in recent times, adding that outputs from research works of the nation’s scholars should be made available to the media.
He said: “The field of humanities is immortal. AI works on the prompt of human beings, who are it’s end-users. It, therefore, cannot displace the field of humanities, on which our ivory towers, the university, takes a position in policy making and recommendations. Its relevance is dependent on the improvement of research by human beings, which scholars in the field of humanities are not exempted.”
Adisa, therefore, called for advocacy, through the media and an extension of the discourse beyond universities, especially to members of the public, who he believed would effect desired outcomes in the preservation of the field of humanities in the evolving world.
Professor Ejibuwa, in his submission, argued that AI cannot displace the importance of human inputs in professional development. He, however, outlined some key characteristics of professional, which according to him, can guide a professional to outperform AI. He listed such as including expertise, integrity, accountability, continuous learning, ethical/effective communication, and adaptability.
Delivering the keynote address on the conference with the theme: “The new Humamities and Humanistic Development in Africa,” President, Nigerian Academy of Letters, Professor Sola Akinrinade, said that the theme of the conference was a clarion call on policymakers, educators, students – to champion the new humanities in Africa, which is to support literature and history departments in universities, and encourage teachers to include local content, fund digital humanities projects, in order to celebrate African languages, and give a voice to artists and philosophers in national debates.
He said: “We cannot have a sustainable development that is not people-oriented. There’s no development that excludes the human being, who are going to consume it. So, the only way to develop it is by embracing the humanities in our technologies — by bringing humanities to help, to guide the development, the communication, the acceptance of the new technologies, the new inventions, in technology, health and every other thing. By doing these, we will be promoting sustainable development on the African continent.”
Earlier at the event, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Kayode Adebowale, and his predecessor, Professor Idowu Olayinka, were honoured with distinguished awards by the faculty.
