EDITORIAL COLLECTIONS | AI TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGE AMIDST FEARS

Artificial intelligence (AI), according to Britannica, “is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience”. But then Wikipedia takes it further this way, “Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence of machines or software, as opposed to the intelligence of humans or animals. It is also the field of study in computer science that develops and studies intelligent machines. "AI" may also refer to the machines themselves” These definitions ideally seem to conclude on the basis and perhaps, the future of AI in human society.

The primary belief by most people about AI technology is simply the fear associated with the possible loss of jobs by humans to robots in the future. This is already widely evident across some organizations and government administrations. We can obviously say that AI is indeed a new nature set to change science either for better or for worse.

According to an article in Nature, an online publication “Now is the time to determine which aspects of research and society AI can be safely integrated into, and how to go about it. The coming deluge of AI-powered information must not be allowed to fuel a flood of untrustworthy science. Science and humanity stand to benefit from AI, provided it is applied in the right way. A comprehensive understanding of the potential dangers of this technology is an essential prerequisite for its safe use.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE | Recurring Nightmare In Our Society

Sexual violence is not a new phenomenon in the human society. It dates back to prehistoric life. Indeed, it is directly associated and often, callously perpetrated by mankind, irrespective of gender.

According to Wikipedia, Sexual violence is any sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coercion, act to traffic a person, regardless of the relationship to the victim. It occurs in times of peace and armed conflict situations, is widespread, and is considered to be one of the most traumatic, pervasive, and most common human rights violations. In other words, Sexual violence is a serious public health problem and has a profound short or long-term impact on physical and mental health, such as an increased risk of sexual and reproductive health problems, an increased risk of suicide, or HIV infection. Though women and girls suffer disproportionately from these aspects, sexual violence can occur to anybody at any age; it is an act of violence that can be perpetrated by parents, caregivers, acquaintances, and strangers, as well as intimate partners. It is rarely a crime of passion, and is rather an aggressive act that frequently aims to express power and dominance over the victim.

Abuja Digest, in its recent publication with the headline 'Time to expedite action against sexual violence' indirectly portrays sexual violence as a crime one too many desirable of immediate attention by individuals, families, government, and the society at large “The Nigerian media in recent times is flooded with disheartening stories of rape and other various forms of sexual abuse against women and girls with defenseless minors including boys constituting the major victims; fathers raping their own daughters, Lecturers harassing female students, young men gang-raping teenage girls, minors sexually abused by older men, armed robbers gang raping innocent women during robbery attacks. The stories are endless and horrible.