Time to Question Creativity Amidst AI Chatbots -By Jerry Ayuba Yavo

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have gained prominence in Nigeria and this brought both benefits and potential side effects to Nigerian students and the general public in particular. AI chatbots are computer programs or interfaces that can carry on human-like conversation using natural language understanding (NLU) or natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML). These programs are designed to help in academics, business, Data analysis and entertainment respectively. All you need to do is to instruct the chatbot to provide a solution to a particular problem, and it will automatically generate the result.

Many Nigerian students have embraced AI as a resource for academic exercises. Some use it for research, presentation, and literary compositions. Lecturers also use it to generate lecture materials without having to undergo the stress of surfing the internet. Information can be easily accessed through AI Chatbots.

However, this trend has become a matter of concern as many Nigerian students and even graduates heavily depend on these AI chatbots rather than engage in critical reasoning and rationality. AI Chatbots have made many people so lazy and dependent that they cannot conduct a common research on issues around them. What many fail to understand is that AI chatbots collect information randomly from already published materials and present as facts. This is the more reason why people, especially Nigerian students should always engage in personal research rather than depend on AI.

With the emergence of AI Chatbots, it is also disturbing that many Nigerian youths cannot compose a simple essay without the use of AI chatbots anymore. A 2024 research by Prof. Oluebube Miracle on the effect of AI chatbots in Nigeria revealed that “many students boycott knowledge construction process, leading to a dearth of experience, irrationality, passive learning, groupthink, academic dishonesty, and a diminished propensity for critical thinking”. This negates the future of academics and knowledge transfer because the future generations will also depend on it and creativity and brain work would die naturally.

Additionally, in a developing country like Nigeria, people need to engage in creative thinking and innovation rather than allow AI to think for them. The secret behind developed countries is constant brainstorming of creative ideas which translate to innovative undertakings. This is exactly what Nigeria needs. It is said that youths are leaders of tomorrow but if they heavily depend on AI chatbots for ideas, what will become of the country? AI can only give you what you ask for and nothing more. It doesn’t feel, it doesn’t think, and is not sensitive to the environment. By implication, dependence on AI is a sign of gross failure as far as creativity is concerned.

Finally, as a way of mitigating the tendency of over dependence on AI Chatbots and promoting creativity among Nigerian youths, it is important for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders to work collaboratively to ensure that the integration of AI in education promotes independence and critical thinking. The Nigerian youths should not abandon the traditional study methods in order to enrich themselves with knowledge which is necessary for self development and national progress.