Umar Pate, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, has urged Muslim faithful to harness new media and artificial intelligence to propagate Islamic values globally, according to a report from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Pate made the call on Sunday at the inauguration of newly elected executives of the Adamawa Muslim Council in Yola, noting that technology enables instant global connection.
He said advances in AI, robotics, and other technologies would eliminate about 92 million jobs in the next five years, even as 120 million new jobs have already emerged. “The new media can take a person to paradise if used positively, and it can also lead someone to hellfire when used negatively,” Pate said, urging caution against hate speech, fake news, and misinformation.
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri charged the new council executives to uphold justice and fairness, while calling on clerics to preach Islam without bias. The Lamido of Adamawa, Barkindo Mustapha, urged unity among Muslims, as council chairman Gambo Jika pledged continued efforts toward unity and progress in his acceptance speech.