Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, yesterday stated that despite the tremendous benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emergent technologies, the tools pose great risks to society hence the need for a regulatory framework.

He listed these risks to include the rise in identity theft and fraud seen in the deployment of AI to create highly realistic deep fakes intended to misinform, trick and confuse people. He further stated that attackers use these maliciously crafted videos, photos and audio to create societal unrest, carry out fraud and damage the reputations of individuals and brands.

Stressing that the foregoing necessitates checkmating the misuse and abuse of emerging technologies, the Speaker disclosed that he will soon sponsor a bill that would seek to regulate the use of AI and robotics in the country.

Abbas made this known in Abuja at the 2022/2023 Convocation Ceremony of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies-University of Benin (NILDS-UNIBEN), harping on the need for Nigeria to have a regulatory framework in place for emerging technologies.

The Speaker noted that technological and scientific innovations such as in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are presenting opportunities that were previously thought impossible.