VENITE UNIVERSITY HOLDS SEMINAR ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, URGES RESPONSIBLE USE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

The College of Agriculture, Computing, Engineering and Sciences of Venite University, Iloro Ekiti, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, organised a Seminar Series on Artificial Intelligence (AI), bringing together academics, industry experts, staff, and students to examine the opportunities and challenges associated with the rapidly evolving technology.

In his welcome address, the Dean of the College, Professor Kehinde Agbele, urged students not to rely excessively on Artificial Intelligence for academic work but to remain intellectually self-sufficient while using AI where necessary. He also encouraged lecturers to scrutinise students’ sources, ensure proper referencing and documentation, and called on organisations such as New Horizons Nigeria to collaborate with the University in developing and nurturing technology driven talents.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Mrs. Charity O. Aremu, appreciated the guest speaker for identifying and seeking a working relationship with Venite earlier before now. In addition, she highlighted the place of entrepreneurial skill and the evolving HiTech literacy, noting that academic excellence alone is no longer sufficient in today’s world of work. Reflecting on the evolution of technology from the Nokia 3310 era to the present digital age, she encouraged participants and especially Venite students to continually work and adapt to technology integration. “If you have a first class and no skill in technology, you may not thrive in today’s world”. Reaffirming the University’s commitment to a digitalized system with palpable proofs in innovation and technology advancement. She stated, that Venite University is built to produce solution providers for Nigeria and Africa at large in line with the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4IR). She therefore concluded her remarks by affirming that Venite University will be working with New Horizon, which is a Hitech industry, in building Hitech entrepreneurial skills in Venite students across their respective degree programmes.

The lead speaker, Mr. Victor Ogunbiyi of New Horizons Nigeria, examined the impact of Artificial Intelligence on education and society. He challenged participants to reflect on the role of scholars in an era increasingly shaped by intelligent technologies.

He traced technological development from the punching card era to modern digital and holographic innovations, introduced participants to commonly used AI applications, and highlighted their relevance in academic and professional settings. While acknowledging the benefits of AI, he warned against its misuse, citing the “erosion of human engagement” and over dependence on technology, and urged participants to use AI responsibly and ethically.

The seminar also featured an interactive question and answer session anchored by Dr. Olutayo. Students and staff raised questions on the application of AI in academics, useful AI skills to acquire, controlling technological misuse, the role of AI in university operations, job displacement concerns, and ways of preventing the abuse of Artificial Intelligence.

Responding to the questions, the speaker emphasised continuous learning, ethical practice, critical thinking, and the acquisition of relevant skills that will enable individuals to thrive alongside emerging technologies.

The seminar concluded with a call for the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence and stronger collaboration between academia and industry in preparing future generations for a technology driven world.