Tech experts in Nigeria call for participation in OpenAI conversation

As major figures in information technology voice their support for a pause on further development of Open artificial intelligence, OpenAI, some tech experts in Nigeria believe the country should also join in the conversation. The call for a six-month pause on OpenAI development has been made due to the risks it poses to collective human wellbeing.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) program, released last year, has prompted rivals to accelerate developing similar large language models and companies to integrate generative artificial intelligence models into their products. Earlier this month, the Microsoft-backed company unveiled the fourth iteration of ChatGPT, which has a vast range of applications from engaging users in human-like conversation to composing songs and summarizing lengthy documents.

Andy Obuoforibo, a tech expert and Product Lead at FounderFFA, believes that this is an important discussion to have in Nigeria. Speaking on a radio show, he said that discussions on these advanced concepts would give the country an opportunity to catch up with the rest of the world, as technology is an enabler. However, he also warned that it could be a threat that closes a door on the country, as the AI-powered “Copilot” software has the ability to write code like a software developer. This could potentially take away jobs from Nigerian software engineers who work remotely.

Obuoforibo also noted that the fears of tech giants across the world are focused on two main issues: the threat to society posed by human competitive AI and the risk of AI taking away jobs. He also highlighted the potential for AI to flood information channels with propaganda and untruths, citing the alleged use of AI to change sounds in a phone call between Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and the founder of the Living Faith church, Bishop David Oyedepo.

As the conversation around OpenAI continues, tech experts in Nigeria are calling for the country to be part of the discussion, both to seize the opportunities that come with technological advancements and to mitigate the risks they pose.