Opinion

I’m A Tech Executive And I’m Afraid Of AI

Published

1 year ago

June 3, 2025

The Daily Voice

I'm A Tech Executive And I'm Afraid Of AI

Andy Kurtzig

Artificial intelligence is evolving at a breakneck pace – but not always to humans’ benefit.

An AI chatbot encourages a teen to kill himself, a lawsuit claims. Another chatbot generates racially offensive book summaries. Yet another allegedly tells a teen to kill his parents over screen time limits. And most recently, it seems that AI forges citations for a Department of Health and Human Services report on children’s health.

Such catastrophic failures will keep happening as long as we allow AI to run unchecked – or worse, use it to push political agendas.

I’ve worked in AI for more than a decade, specifically in the professional services field. I’ve seen the technology evolve from its infancy to today’s billion-dollar gold rush. I’ve also seen the misplaced confidence tech executives and policymakers seem to have when it comes to AI.

A recent study we conducted at Pearl, a generative AI platform powered by professional service experts, found that more than a quarter of parents with kids under 18 say their child uses AI more than five times a day – compared to 13% of Gen Zers and 11% of millennials. Nearly a third of those parents also say their child has been given the wrong answer by AI before, and they’ve had to correct it.

An illustration showing a woman with her hair in a bun, holding a smartphone from which orange flames are emanating towards her face. The background is a bold red, contrasting with the dark silhouette of the woman. This image conveys the intense impact of technology, the addictive nature of digital devices, misinformation or the potential dangers and negative consequences of excessive smartphone usage.

This is a clear indicator that we cannot trust AI. Worse, we seem to have baselessly convinced ourselves that these kinks will sort themselves out with each new AI generation.

This blind faith in AI isn’t just misplaced – it’s dangerous. The legal system is already seeing AI-generated documents filled with fictitious case law. Hospitals are fielding AI-created patient summaries riddled with errors. Financial institutions are using AI to assess creditworthiness, often reinforcing systemic biases that harm marginalized communities.

Companies, meanwhile, are rushing to replace human expertise with AI-driven automation, ignoring the very real risks posed by unchecked AI hallucinations (incorrect or misleading results generated by AI). And it’s getting worse. OpenAI’s recently launched AI models hallucinate more than several of its older ones.

So far, AI companies have shown little to no results when it comes to making AI more accurate. Still, more and more people are using and normalizing AI as a trustworthy source – including our country’s leaders. A 2023 Georgetown study suggests it could take $1 trillion to improve AI’s accuracy by just 10%.

AI companies know their systems aren’t reliable, but instead of fixing the core issue, they slap a band-aid disclaimer on the bottom of responses: “Consult a professional.” A digital get-out-of-jail-free card – or so they think. It’s meant to shift the blame to users, while AI keeps spewing falsehoods. Based on our internal research, over 70% of AI responses to legal, medical and veterinary questions include this cop-out.

So, what’s the alternative? Do we let AI proceed and accept the dangers? We are seeing a mass disregard for subject matter expertise from the very top levels of our government on down. One-third of people already believe AI will replace doctors in the next 10 years, according to a survey we released earlier this year. Nearly half think the same about lawyers.

But the reality is, there’s a reason we trust doctors, lawyers and engineers. They have been trained to navigate complexity, nuance and real-world consequences. AI hasn’t. A chatbot doesn’t understand the emotional weight of a life-altering diagnosis, nor can it argue a complex legal case in court. AI lacks intuition, morality and genuine problem-solving skills that come from human experience.

The path forward isn’t about killing AI – it’s about making it better. That means demanding human oversight and not letting AI operate unchecked. AI can be a powerful tool, but only when it works with people, not in place of them.

If we don’t act now, we risk a future where misinformation, unchecked automation and blind trust in AI endanger lives even more. The technology is advancing whether we like it or not, but we have the power to shape how it integrates into society

Usnews.com

Foreign

BREAKING: Three Nigerians Jailed in UK Within One Week

Published

1 month ago

August 9, 2026

The Daily Voice

Three Nigerians have been jailed for separate offences in the United Kingdom, with one sentenced for dangerous driving, another for attempting to murder his estranged wife and the third for attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

A 23-year-old Nigerian, Michael Nwanze, was sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and other offences following a police chase in Northampton.

According to Northamptonshire Police, Nwanze was stopped in Abington Square on March 10, 2026, after the vehicle he was driving was flagged for having no insurance.

He allegedly sped off, drove through several red lights and reached speeds of more than 100mph on a dual carriageway and 70mph in a 40mph zone. He also collided with several vehicles while attempting to evade the police.

Nwanze was later charged with dangerous driving, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

He pleaded guilty at Northampton Crown Court in April and was sentenced in June.

In Scotland, a 26-year-old Nigerian, Osarenkhoe Atutie, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to murder his estranged wife, Victory Atutie, in Edinburgh.

According to the BBC, Atutie attacked his wife on Duke Street, Leith, in November 2025 after tracking her down following the breakdown of their marriage.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the victim suffered 12 stab wounds and was hospitalised for four days.

Three members of the public intervened, disarmed Atutie and restrained him until police arrived. His original 10-year sentence was reduced to seven-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty.

He was also given a lifetime non-harassment order and will remain under supervision for 18 months after his release.

Meanwhile, a Nigerian student, Anderson Ishiekwene, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

According to the BBC, the 25-year-old Ishiekwene, who arrived in the UK on a student visa in August 2025, communicated with a decoy profile operated by an online paedophile hunter group after believing the person was a 14-year-old girl.

Prosecutors said he exchanged hundreds of pages of messages with the decoy before arranging to meet at a shopping centre in Washington, England. He was arrested when he arrived at the agreed location.

Ishiekwene had earlier admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and was convicted by a jury of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and comply indefinitely with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, with the court stating that he was likely to face automatic deportation after completing his sentence.

Opinion

Colonel Ude: Another Gallant Army Officer Taken Down

Published

1 month ago

August 2, 2026

The Daily Voice

It was another sad day last Monday when the news broke that a serving colonel of the Nigerian Army had been killed while his wife was shot in an attack on their residence near Abuja.

The slain officer, Colonel Abdussalam Ude, was attacked shortly after returning to his home in Kurudu District of the nation’s capital, on Monday evening. His driver and security guard also sustained gunshot wounds during the assault.

Citing security sources, PRNigeria said the attackers attempted to abduct the officer but met stiff resistance. After failing to take him away, the assailants allegedly shot the officer multiple times before fleeing the scene.

His wife, driver and security guard, who were caught in the attack, were rushed to hospital and were receiving treatment for varying degrees of gunshot injuries.

The killing has sent shockwaves through military circles, coming at a time Colonel Ude was preparing for his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General.

An indigene of Enugu State, the late officer served in several strategic intelligence and counter-terrorism roles within the Armed Forces. LawEnforcement

Colleagues described him as a courageous and highly respected intelligence officer whose dedication to duty earned him widespread admiration within the military.

Besides the fact that the killing has renewed concerns over attacks on serving and retired military officers in Abuja and other parts of the country, the killing of a senior military officer by gunmen right inside his residence, also shows how unsafe the country has become for both ordinary and privileged Nigerians.

It is particularly worse for military personnel. They are not safe on the battlefront; they are not safe at home and they are safe in retirement.

The incident comes about two years after retired Brigadier General Uwem Harold Udokwere was killed by armed men who invaded his residence in the Lokogoma area of Abuja while he was defending his family. The attackers reportedly escaped with his firearm and other valuables.

The federal government has to seriously come up with a strategy on how to end the incessant killings in the country. In the last one week, over 70 people have been killed across the country. Nigerians cannot continued to leave in fear.

-THISDAY

Lifestyle

FULL LIST: Breakdown of Nigerian Ambassadors’ Salaries, Allowances Revealed

Published

1 month ago

July 30, 2026

The Daily Voice

BREAKDOWN EMERGES

Nigerian ambassadors’ pay packages have come under renewed attention. Fresh figures revealed that while basic salaries remained modest, allowances significantly boosted overall compensation for diplomats posted abroad

Reports showed that total monthly take-home pay often reached several million naira, reflecting the high costs of overseas postings

According to Salary.com, as of December 2025, the average annual salary for employees at the Nigerian Embassy in the United States stood at $93,909. This translated to an approximate hourly wage of $45.

Salaries at the embassy typically ranged from $82,124 to $107,453 annually, reflecting the diverse roles and levels of experience within the organisation. Reports indicated that pay was influenced by factors such as job role, department, years of service, and location.

Nigerian Ambassador Salary Structure

Rufai Oseni of Arise TV reported that the salary of Nigerian ambassadors was governed by the Consolidated Diplomatic, Consular and Foreign Service Cadre Salary Structure (CONPSS) in the Nigerian public service. Ambassadors usually fell into the highest grade levels, GL 17 or equivalent, with additional allowances for overseas postings.

Based on government budget allocations, salary surveys, and reports on foreign service personnel costs, the basic salary was described as modest by international standards but supplemented by substantial allowances.

Basic Salary of Nigerian Ambassadors Monthly Basic Pay:

Approximately ₦800,000 to ₦1,200,000 (about $485–$727 USD).

Annual Basic Salary: ₦9.6 million to ₦14.4 million (about $5,818–$8,727 USD).

These figures were drawn from the CONPSS scale for top-tier diplomatic officers. Entry-level foreign service officers reportedly earned around ₦300,000–₦500,000 monthly, but ambassadors, being at the top of the career ladder, commanded the upper end.

The figures also aligned with general public sector pay for Grade Level 17 officers, adjusted for inflation and the 2025 minimum wage increase to ₦70,000.

Allowances and Total Compensation

Reports highlighted that basic pay alone did not reflect the full compensation package.

Nigerian ambassadors posted overseas received allowances designed to offset high living expenses, hardship, and representational duties.

Total monthly take-home pay often exceeded ₦2–5 million ($1,212–$3,030 USD), depending on the host country.

The release of estimated salaries shed light on the financial structure of Nigeria’s foreign service. While the basic salary remained modest compared to international standards, allowances ensured that ambassadors were adequately supported in their overseas postings.