One of Nigeria’s renowned poets, polemicists and former Private Secretary to the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, Mr Odia Ofeimun, has said AI has no power to superintend over imagination without being an instrument of imagination.
Ofeimun made this known at the Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA) Abuja chapter’s reading and writers’ dialogue held in his honour at the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja.
While noting that writing will always take its place of prominence in modelling society, Ofeimun said all the things that are supposed to impede writing have only propelled it to greater heights.
“People were opposed to writing because they thought it would disrupt human memory. But when writing began, it not only extended human memory, it has over multiplied it in such a way that, if you are looking for all the books wr
itten in the world no human memory can encompass them.
“When the telephone started, they said with television people would stop reading. But it is public knowledge that neither radio nor television has killed writing. All the things that are supposed to take us back from future development turned out to be an extension of human memory or human imagination.”
Adding: “AI can’t superintend over imagination without becoming an instrument of imagination. Some believe if a chip is inserted into a human hand it will change their humanity, the humanity would rather change that chip. AI will not destroy creativity in writing.”
Speaking with The Guardian, chairman, ANA Abuja, Chukwudi Eze, eulogised Ofeimun for his contributions to knowledge and further stressed the need for young writers to project the country’s unity in diversity in their creative works.
“Today we celebrate the literary achievement of the great Nigerian poet, Odia Ofeimun. We’re happy he came to Abuja. Let me take an excerpt from what he talked about the issue of the Igbo and the Yoruba being from one lineage, he is taking history.
“The colonists came and divided us, it is sad that we’ve not been able to fix ourselves like the Chinese have done. Without Nigeria’s occupying its place in global politics, Africa is finished. The only way can attain that position was for us, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and all to come together. Young generation writers should continue to preach unity in diversity.”
