Experts allay fears of AI-induced job losses, push for human-centred adoption
Experts allay fears of AI-induced job losses, push for human-centred adoption
Publish Date: 2026-06-22 00:00:00
Source Domain: guardian.ng
- AI’s Impact: Elijah Daniel from Schneider Electric dismissed fears over AI causing job losses, citing evidence that firms adopting AI report no change in staffing levels and outperform competitors.
- Performance and Revenue: AI integration correlates with higher revenue per employee, with exposed industries showing three times the growth of less exposed sectors, according to PwC.
- AI in Industry: Daniel highlighted that Africa’s industrial sectors are hindered by a disconnect between control rooms and field operations, despite AI’s potential for economic value.
- Data and AI: Daniel emphasized that the value of AI in industrial operations comes from quality and depth of data rather than the technology itself.
- African Policy and AI: There’s a call for Africa-centered AI policies, stronger data sovereignty, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems to ensure balanced technological advancement.
- Human-Centered AI: Olatoun Gabi-Williams stressed that AI development should enhance social and environmental sustainability and cautioned against risks from unchecked AI adoption.
- Indigenous Knowledge: Scholars like Pelumi Olatunji underscored the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge systems, cautioning that technological progress shouldn’t overshadow traditional knowledge.
- Limited AI Resources: Abdulazeez Shomade pointed out the lacking datasets for African indigenous languages and the inaccuracies produced by existing AI translation tools.
