Artificial intelligence is transforming industries worldwide at an unprecedented pace, delivering major gains in efficiency while raising urgent social and ethical questions.
In sectors from healthcare to transportation, companies report productivity boosts of up to 40% through AI integration, particularly in data analysis, customer service, and supply-chain management.
AI’s capacity to process vast datasets in real time is revolutionizing fields like financial trading, where it identifies trends, forecasts stock movements, and monitors risks more swiftly than human analysts. Yet, as adoption accelerates, experts warn of over-reliance, job displacement, and the erosion of critical thinking, especially among young users.
In an exclusive discussion with Adamimogo FM’s Adesola Ademurewa, AI specialists emphasized the need for educators to help students harness AI as a research and learning tool without letting it substitute reasoning.
AI expert Oluwatosin Olaniran described AI as “one of the greatest tools for better study and understanding” but cautioned against its uncritical use. “Teachers must help students set boundaries,” he urged. “AI should support, not replace, intellectual effort.”
Emmanuel Jesugbile, a technology coach and AI specialist, echoed these concerns while highlighting AI’s transformative potential. He called for structured guidance to ensure students use AI to “change society positively,” not as a shortcut that stifles creativity or analytical skills.
Globally, businesses are rapidly adopting AI-driven systems to streamline operations and unlock new services. However, labor groups fear automation could displace routine jobs, while ethicists demand clearer regulations around algorithmic bias, transparency, and data privacy.
In Nigeria, observers note a growing dependency on AI among youth for tasks that traditionally required problem-solving and research skills, raising alarms about cognitive development and originality.
Experts agree: AI is no longer a future prospect but a present reality reshaping daily life. The challenge lies in maximizing its benefits enhanced prediction, real-time monitoring, and personalized learning, while actively managing its risks through education, regulation, and responsible implementation.
As AI’s influence expands, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders must collaborate to ensure that technological advancement empowers rather than diminishes human potential.
