We get it—AI is the new cool kid on the block. It writes your Instagram captions, filters your selfies, finishes your sentences, and, if you’re bold enough, even does your homework. Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about ChatGPT, Midjourney, or some app that can draw, speak, think, and probably dream too. But before we all lose ourselves in the hype, maybe it’s time we had a small, honest chat about the not-so-glamorous side of all this “intelligence.”
Because while we’re all clapping for the robots, many of us haven’t really stopped to ask: Is this helping us or slowly messing things up?
Here’s what we mean:
1. AI Might Actually Be Coming for Your Job
Let’s not sugarcoat it—if your job involves a laptop and Wi-Fi, chances are, AI is already eyeing it. From virtual assistants who never sleep to writing tools that craft emails faster than you can say “Dear Sir,” technology is learning how to do things better, faster, and cheaper.
Already, some companies abroad are replacing customer service agents with bots, and local startups are experimenting with AI for social media management, writing, graphics, even voiceovers. It’s not just tech bros in Yaba feeling the heat—journalists, designers, marketers, even teachers are wondering: What happens when the computer becomes better at my job than I am?
It’s giving silent panic.
2. Everything is Starting to Sound the Same
Have you noticed how captions, blog posts, and even wedding speeches are starting to feel like they came from the same overly helpful robot? That’s because, well, they probably did. AI is efficient, but it’s also quite… generic. It doesn’t know your slang, your childhood stories, or why you always say “chai” when you’re upset.
So yes, it can help you write, but if everyone starts sounding like a mildly polite robot from Canada, where’s the fun in that?
3. Fake News is About to Get a Facelift
We’ve had enough trouble dealing with WhatsApp forwards from our uncles claiming one miracle cure or the other. Now imagine that same uncle sharing a fake video of a celebrity doing something wild—except this time, it looks real. Enter: deepfakes.
AI can now create videos and voice notes that look and sound exactly like real people. It’s fun until it’s your face in a scandal you know nothing about. Or your favourite politician “saying” things they never said. In this new world, seeing is no longer believing. And that’s a little scary.
4. Your Privacy Is Slowly Disappearing
Every time you use an AI-powered app—whether it’s a filter, a face-swap, or a quiz that tells you which jollof rice you are—it’s collecting data. Your voice, your face, your habits. And no, most of these apps aren’t doing it “just for fun.”
What happens when your data ends up in the wrong hands? Or when your face becomes part of a random ad somewhere in another country? Let’s just say not all terms and conditions are your friends.
5. It Doesn’t Understand “Us” Yet
AI is smart, but it’s not Nigerian-smart. Try typing in “abeg” or “I just dey manage” and watch it freeze. It doesn’t fully get our humour, sarcasm, or why “na wa o” can mean twenty different things depending on tone. It doesn’t know our proverbs or the subtle art of haggling in Balogun market.
And while that sounds harmless, it also means we’re relying on tools that don’t quite reflect our culture. Over time, if we’re not careful, we could lose bits of what makes our everyday communication so uniquely us.
So, What’s the Point of All This?
AI is not the enemy. It’s helpful, interesting, and, honestly, sometimes mind-blowing. But like that new friend who seems too good to be true, we need to stay alert. Use it, enjoy it, but don’t hand over your common sense. Don’t stop thinking for yourself. And definitely don’t stop sounding like you.
