AI Efficiency: A Double-Edged Sword
The relentless pursuit of efficiency through artificial intelligence is reshaping the global economy, but it also raises critical questions about the future of work. According to Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, the world must consider whether retaining some inefficiencies might be necessary to avoid widespread confusion and job displacement. While AI promises unprecedented productivity, it also threatens to render millions of workers obsolete, particularly in desk jobs and analytical roles.
The History of Efficiency and Its Limits
Fasua notes that the history of governments and businesses is essentially a story of pursuing efficiency. Governments strive to deliver maximum value with minimal resources, while companies seek high returns for shareholders. Innovations, from inverter air-conditioning to modern medicine, have made life more comfortable. However, he warns that the brutal efficiency of AI could tip the scale, leading to a world where human effort is minimized to the point of irrelevance.
AI has been developed to make work more efficient, save time, shorten creativity cycles, and optimize logistics. Yet, Fasua argues that AI cannot replace manual labor—plumbing, masonry, and other physical jobs remain beyond its reach. He emphasizes that even the most advanced AI relies on sampling existing human-created content, often without fair compensation.
Mass Layoffs and the Rise of 'AI-Efficiency'
In recent months, top tech companies like Google, Meta, Oracle, and Amazon have laid off hundreds of thousands of workers, citing 'AI-efficiency' as a reason. Fasua explains that business owners who master AI begin to question why they should pay employees for tasks that AI can complete in minutes. This trend is likely to spread beyond tech to other sectors, including governments, potentially leading to a future with few jobs.
Researchers have suggested that AI could eventually eliminate jobs entirely, prompting discussions about a Universal Basic Income (UBI). However, Fasua is skeptical, pointing out that AI cannot perform manual labor, which remains essential in many industries.
Nigeria's Unique Advantage in an AI-Driven World
Fasua argues that Nigeria and other developing nations have a significant advantage. While developed countries like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have around 30% of workers employed in the public sector, Nigeria has only about 3%. This low manning level means there is immense room for job creation in areas where AI cannot function effectively.
He highlights sectors such as security, education, health, social services, and environmental management. For instance, teachers in rural areas without electricity cannot be replaced by AI, and nurses and doctors are still needed. Social service workers, who are currently lacking, could be employed to support vulnerable populations, including children out of school, the physically challenged, and the elderly. Additionally, cleaning up environmental degradation requires human effort that AI cannot provide.
The Paranoia of Big Tech and Data Theft
Fasua observes that large conglomerates are building proprietary AI systems and blocking access to external platforms to protect their data. He describes AI as a potential thief of data, repackaging and selling it back to users. The global AI race is dominated by the US and China, leaving other nations as consumers of their innovations.
He also notes that Europe is reacting by reducing dependence on American technology, particularly in payment systems and social media. For Nigeria, the challenge is to leverage AI while protecting local interests and creating jobs that AI cannot replace.
Conclusion: Retaining Inefficiency for Humanity's Sake
Fasua concludes by questioning whether the world should retain some inefficiencies rather than relentlessly pursuing more efficiency. He argues that human beings will always need to lift a finger, and AI cannot solve all problems. The issues facing the world may not be about efficiency alone; deeper human considerations must guide our approach to technology.
He advises Nigerians to know themselves and their estates, using the opportunity to engage millions in employment while the world grapples with the consequences of an AI-driven system. This article, he emphasizes, is not AI-generated—a skill that involves detecting AI footprints, though AI itself is learning to hide them.
