The scope for artificial intelligence to bring about breakthroughs and transformations in fields as diverse as agriculture, astronomy, aeronautics, banking, biological sciences, defense, education, finance, law, material science, medicine to manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, scientific innovation, research and development, technology and more is seemingly limitless.
This will span, to varying degrees, the Global North, the Global South, space and undersea, and will impact nearly every aspect of human interaction with smart machines, creatively disrupting the 9am-5pm workday and fixed working patterns.
But what is this leviathan monstrosity called artificial intelligence? The answer is in the sentence, because to say it is “artificial” necessarily means that it is non-biological and non-human, because in the context of its development, it is computer-based developed intelligence. But the proposition raises the philosophical and practical question of whether artificial intelligence can ever be smarter than intelligent humans, who provide the raw material for the intelligence that is the basis of artificial intelligence.
In The Dynamic Intersection of Economics, Foreign Relations, Law, and National Development (2023), Ojum puts forward the hypothesis that “the analytical-philosophical foundations of human intelligence and artificial intelligence are intimately intertwined in that both analyze the mind, neuroinformatics, reason, and sensory or perceptual capacities.” This proposition invites the inference that human intelligence and artificial intelligence will continue to be contested areas of different strategies for addressing problems facing the world in the 21st century and beyond.
In Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (2021), Russell and Norvig state that artificial intelligence is an aspect of computer science analysis that studies and shapes software and systems to enable machines to evaluate their domains and use learning and intelligence to execute programs and increase the likelihood of achieving complex goals. In other words, artificial intelligence aims to create and deploy machines that can analyze, predict, reason, and adapt like humans can, or even surpass human intelligence.
Like any human invention, artificial intelligence (AI) can be deployed for good or bad. A few examples of far-reaching positive outcomes will illustrate this point: Automation and efficiency, where AI automates repetitive tasks and streamlines processes while increasing productivity; enhanced decision-making, where AI analyzes complex data and provides insights that support informed decision-making; and personalization and customization, where AI drives tailored experiences in areas like education, healthcare, and marketing.
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide 24/7 support, improving customer experience, choice, and satisfaction. AI’s notable impact is equally evident in driving competitiveness, innovation, and economic development across sectors. Medical diagnostics, pharmaceutical innovation, vaccine development, knowledge dissemination, personalized patient treatment plans, forensic science, the healthcare value chain, and related healthcare advancements will be powered by AI. The World Economic Forum predicts that the global healthcare market will exceed $187 billion by 2030. This is a significant milestone, given that there is a projected shortage of approximately 10 million doctors, midwives, and nurses due to an aging population and growing social care needs.
The area of environmental sustainability is equally important, where AI can improve resource utilization, reduce waste, and promote eco-friendly practices; and in the area of accessibility, where AI-powered tools can assist with disabilities and inclusivity. Furthermore, AI is also making inroads in the area of cybersecurity, where AI-powered systems can detect and prevent cyber threats, reduce the risk of hacking, and increase security in the broadest sense.
Cybersecurity is interesting because its malicious deployments highlight the actual and potential dangers of AI when harnessed for nefarious purposes by belligerents, hackers, saboteurs, con artists, charlatans, and unethical users. Moreover, cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, jeopardizing the integrity of even the most robust and sophisticated AI systems, making it difficult to stay ahead of the curve of AI’s good deeds.
Other key concerns here include the high implementation and operational costs of incorporating highly effective cybersecurity measures, and the complexities that arise as off-the-shelf systems rarely work optimally given unique commercial, geopolitical, national, and consumer requirements. Similarly, human error is a persistent concern for AI cybersecurity, since it is only as effective as its weakest link. After all, human error routinely compromises security.
Data security concerns about AI cybersecurity are real, given lax data collection and surveillance policies in some jurisdictions. Of course, over-reliance on AI runs the risk of increasing complacency, suboptimal human intelligent oversight, and intellectual laziness.
To put this in perspective, over-reliance on AI and ineffective risk management systems led to a massive global IT outage on Friday, July 19, 2024, causing disruptions, delays and over 3,000 flight cancellations across Nigeria, Europe, the United States and other international destinations following a “flaw discovered in a single Windows content update” by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
The glitch also affected banks, broadcasters and commercial organisations around the world, with Microsoft estimating that 8.5 million computers worldwide were adversely affected. The glitch raises important cross-jurisdictional issues, including over-reliance on AI, the lack of durable and effective risk management, the quasi-market dominance of big tech companies and its impact on innovation, and the potential for billions of dollars in damages claims by affected individuals, passengers and companies.
Despite the great allure of AI, more legitimate questions are being raised about its actual and potential impact on employment, over-reliance on high-quality data that is hard to obtain and sometimes carries bias and discrimination, ethical use, autonomy, integrity, privacy, etc. According to McKinsey Global Institute, by 2030, automation could lead to the loss of around 800 million jobs worldwide.
Still, AI isn’t going anywhere, and neither are its cybersecurity threats. The challenge will be for society to adapt to AI’s transformative opportunities in various spheres of human endeavor while ensuring effective, ethical, and legal safeguards to protect everyone without stifling AI’s transformative potential.
On the part of sovereign nations, this means upskilling and capacity building based on critical technologies, with appropriate laws and policies in place to support the evolution of superintelligent AI in the coming decades. Furthermore, investments in education, retraining programs, and job redefinition initiatives are non-negotiable, as they are justified by the unique context of each country’s strategic industrialization priorities.
Meanwhile, a commitment to upskilling, lifelong learning, creative problem-solving, strategic thinking, and interpersonal skills are persuasively reasoned. After all, McKinsey further predicts that 140 million new jobs could be created across industries by 2030.
The smart investors are governments, policy makers, academics, universities, research institutes, industry, primary and secondary schools, and strategic individuals who are actively investing in AI, business intelligence, superintelligence cyber security, data science, machine learning, medicine, programming, robotics, software engineering, and technology.
The logic is simple: AI has and will continue to facilitate the creation of new job opportunities, increase productivity by automating repetitive tasks, free up human workers to focus on more complex and creative tasks, and enhance decision-making to reduce the risk of human error and its associated costly consequences.
The above is in line with the principles of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 5.0, a new stage of industrialization in which human work interfaces are optimized with advanced technologies and AI-enabled robots to enhance workplace processes.
Underlying these principles is a shift away from the idea of commercial organisations being solely focused on maximising profits: While profit maximisation is still important, it will now also include more human interaction, greater resilience and an improved focus on sustainability.
Ultimately, artificial intelligence tools are not a whip to be innovatively harnessed versus strong cybersecurity for the benefit of humanity. There is no turning back.
Mr. Ojumu is a Principal Partner at Balliol Myers LP, a firm of legal practitioners and strategic consultants in Lagos, Nigeria, and author of The Dynamic Intersections of Economics, Foreign Relations, Jurisprudence and National Development.
