Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Unveiled In UNN

Byteworks Technology Solutions has Unveiled an Artifical Intelligence (AI) laboratory at the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

The laboratory is named after a retired former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of the institution, Prof. Charles Osuagwu.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Charles Igwe, said that laboratory was part of efforts towards positioning the school at the forefront of research and innovation endeavours in Nigeria.

Igwe further charged the department to develop local software that could tackle local challenges of insecurity, kidnappings, killings and food crisis in the country.

According him, the laboratory will provide training and research on AI, as well as cloud services, stressing that AI is becoming a major concept in everyday life, impacting businesses, medicine, engineering, education, security and defence.

Igwe, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Pat Okpoko, commended the Managing Director of Byteworks, Ezeukwu Osuagwu, a 2006 graduate of the university, for the initiative.

The Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Emeka Obe, who described AI as a relatively new field, however, stated that it was becoming more and more important in various industries, especially in the industrial and manufacturing contexts.

He said that the initiative, when fully advanced, would make some people lose their jobs, but assured saying: “Since human wants are insatiable, we will soon invent more needs that AI may not be able to provide.”