Caleb University Professor Advocates for AI's Transformative Role in Judicial System

Prof. Foluke Dada-Lawanson, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Caleb University, highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the judicial system during the university’s Eighth Inaugural Lecture.

Jul 11, 2024 - 12:44

Caleb University Professor Advocates for AI's Transformative Role in Judicial System

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds significant potential to revolutionize the judicial system, particularly in human rights adjudication, according to Prof. Foluke Dada-Lawanson, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Caleb University, Imota, Lagos. Prof. Dada-Lawanson highlighted this during the institution’s Eighth Inaugural Lecture at the Multipurpose Hall.

Describing AI as the simulation of human intelligence that can rationalize and take actions to achieve specific goals, she traced its origins back to Alan Turing's 1950 publication, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” where he proposed that machines could think.

Prof. Dada-Lawanson, who hails from Ere-Ijesa in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, explained AI as a network of computer components mimicking human abilities to receive, process, reason, and communicate information. She emphasized AI's capability to search through data and combine information to produce specific results based on initial human requests.

She classified AI into hardware and software infrastructures, highlighting their various combinations based on intended use and scale of application. However, she noted limitations in AI's relevance to human rights adjudication in Nigeria and globally, identifying key challenges such as data, algorithms, human factors, feedback loops, and deployment.

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Prof. Dada-Lawanson stressed the importance of addressing bias in AI to uphold human rights principles, promote fairness, equality, and ensure technologies are deployed responsibly, respecting individuals' dignity and autonomy.

The event featured commendations from various dignitaries. Caleb University Vice Chancellor, Nosa Owens–Iben, congratulated Prof. Dada-Lawanson on her professorial achievement. Prof. Gbenga Akingbehin from the University of Lagos praised her academic journey, and her husband, High Chief Adeyinka David Dada, lauded her dedication.

Other notable attendees included her mother, High Chief Elizabeth Adedunmola Lawanson; HRM Oba Augustine Alowolodu, the Elere of Ere-Ijesa; HRM Oba Adamo Ademola, the Onitaji of Itaji-Ekiti; HRM Oba Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa; and High Chief Tise Adenipekun, the Aaro of Ere-Ijesa, accompanied by his wife, Yeye Luwa of Ere-Ijesa.