Speaking at the opening of a three-day national conference at Gombe State University on Monday, themed “Generative AI: Transforming Education—Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations,” Pantami delivered a keynote address tracing AI’s evolution and its revolutionary impact on education.

“Generative AI creates original content, text, images, voice, and code,” he explained, projecting that the technology will generate 97 million jobs globally and contribute $15 trillion to world GDP by 2030.Emphasizing human-AI synergy, Pantami declared: “AI will not replace humans but those who master AI will replace those who don’t.” 

As Co-Chair of the African Union’s 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council, he urged institutions to embed ethical AI into curricula to ensure Nigerian graduates remain globally competitive.

He showcased AI-powered tools like Zotero, Connected Papers, Research Rabbit, and Chat Academia as enablers of personalized learning and advanced research.

Key Challenges Highlighted:Academic Integrity: Rising use of AI to generate assignments and theses. 

Data Privacy & Security: Risks in storing sensitive student and institutional data. 

Algorithmic Bias: Potential for AI to perpetuate unfair outcomes based on flawed training data.

Pantami’s Five-Point Action Plan:Form AI Task Forces with academics, staff, legal, and tech experts to draft usage guidelines.

Support Student AI Startups via the Nigeria Startup Act 2022 and federal funding.

Boost AI Research Funding from universities, states, and federal government.

Train Faculty Continuously on responsible AI integration in teaching and research.

Deploy AI Detection Tools to combat plagiarism and preserve academic integrity.

Citing Harvard and MIT as models, Pantami stressed urgency: “Leading global universities have already formed AI working groups. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind.”