A former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has called on citizens to embrace media literacy, verify information before sharing, and support ethical regulation of Artificial Intelligence.
Alhaji Mohammed warned that the recent uncontrolled spread of Artificial Intelligence and deepfakes could plunge society into “information nihilism” -a situation where people no longer believe in any form of truth.
He spoke at the maiden edition of the Caleb University Public Lecture in Imota, Lagos, themed “Fake News, Disinformation and Artificial Intelligence: Defending Truth and Public Interest in the Digital age,”
Authentic Evidence
He explained that “the greatest danger of AI is not just the creation of convincing falsehoods, but the growing tendency to dismiss authentic evidence as fake.”
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olalekan Asikhia, emphasised that universities must serve as strongholds of ethical fact-checking and intellectual integrity, while the Registrar, Mr. Mayokun Olumeru, reaffirmed Caleb University’s commitment to producing graduates who will serve as credible custodians of truth.
In a press release, the Principal Information and Media Expert, Olawale Adekoya, said “the University was honoured to host a distinguished media and public relations figure of Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s calibre to inaugurate its public lecture series.”
The event attracted leading scholars, media executives and students, and climaxed with the presentation of a commemorative plaque to Alhaji Lai Mohammed in recognition of his contributions to national communication and public policy.