An artificial intelligence enthusiast, Jeremiah Musa, has identified what he calls ‘AI phobia’ as a bane to the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence tools by university graduates across Nigeria.
Speaking to an AIbase correspondent in a phone interview from the United Arab Emirates, Jerry said that those with AI phobia struggle with the demands of integrating AI into their workflows, a situation that he said undermines productivity and encourages inefficiency.
He described AI fear as the biggest challenge facing Nigerian graduates today, stating that their peers globally now focus on advancing AI use, while many Nigerian youths are still on the verge of its adoption.
“Those with ‘AI phobia’ struggle to meet demands and as a result fall behind global peers who adopt AI responsibly…overcoming this fear is crucial to staying competitive and relevant in fast-changing job markets,” he noted.
Speaking from a personal point of view on the initial challenges AI adoption posed to him as a public relations expert and a professional journalist, Jerry compared learning AI to understanding a new partner, which requires time to grasp the quirks and capabilities.
“Early difficulties involved crafting effective prompts and understanding AI’s limits…continuous self-education and experimentation improved my AI deployment over time,” he disclosed.
The highlight of the conversation centred on the impact of artificial intelligence in media practice and its associated threats to the core ethics of journalism. The co-founder of thebitgazette.com stated categorically that AI has nothing to do with the core ethics of journalism, which are accountability, transparency and balance, stressing that the responsibility rests on humans to protect.
In his words, “AI will not stop you from fact-checking, researching, and engaging in other methods of fact-finding of its contents before applying them to work…AI amplifies a journalist’s existing diligence or laziness, making ethical conduct the individual’s responsibility,” he emphasised.
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He therefore advised media professionals to see AI as a catalyst that speeds the process rather than as an independent tool, stressing that AI is like a skilled worker who still needs guidance to ensure quality and appropriateness.
He advised graduates to identify their areas of calling and channel AI capabilities towards those areas, while highlighting numerous opportunities AI offers today in the labour market, rather than the notion that AI is stripping job opportunities from potential employees.
“Graduates must identify their strengths and find AI applications relevant to their professions…Proper certification and ethical knowledge are key to leveraging AI effectively,” he noted.
He shared his experience of learning to communicate precisely with AI systems in the area of mastering prompts to boost AI’s accuracy and relevance in tasks, training and experimentation necessary to unlock AI’s full potential, skill development to reduce errors and support higher-quality outcomes and offering accessible, short courses on AI with a view to overcoming adoption barriers.
“Encouraging graduates to take short, often free, courses builds foundational AI knowledge…Such courses help clarify AI’s capabilities, ethical use, and practical applications…this education reduces fear and misuse while empowering users,” he concluded.
This conversation is apt at a time when the unemployment rate is rising, with many attributing the increase to the rapid adoption and subsequent deployment of artificial intelligence tools in organisational workflows.
Senior Reporter/Editor
Bio: Ugochukwu is a freelance journalist and Editor at AIbase.ng, with a strong professional focus on investigative reporting. He holds a degree in Mass Communication and brings extensive experience in news gathering, reporting, and editorial writing. With over a decade of active engagement across diverse news outlets, he contributes in-depth analytical, practical, and expository articles exploring artificial intelligence and its real-world impact. His seasoned newsroom experience and well-established information networks provide AIbase.ng with credible, timely, and high-quality coverage of emerging AI developments.