Don warns against AI abuse, seeks ethical safeguards

2026-02-18 - 00:27

By Henry Ojelu Law scholar Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN, has sounded a strong warning against the growing misuse of artificial intelligence, declaring that the unethical deployment of digital tools now poses one of the gravest threats to innovation and critical scholarship. Speaking at the 7th MENA Environmental Law and Policy Scholars Conference hosted by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria called for urgent ethical guardrails to ensure AI drives — rather than derails — sustainable development in line with Goal 9 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Olawuyi, who doubles as President of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Middle East and North African Universities and Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, warned that the exploitative use of AI could undermine environmental governance if left unchecked. “Despite the innovative and important contributions of AI to environmental monitoring, research and teaching, the exploitative and unethical use of AI and other digital tools is becoming one of the greatest threats to innovation and critical scholarship,” he said. Held under the theme Environmental Law in the Digital Age, the conference has grown into the largest annual environmental law gathering in the MENA region, drawing academics, policy makers, businesses and international organisations to examine technology-driven solutions to ecological challenges. A central focus of this year’s dialogue was the “twin transition” — the push to confront the climate crisis while simultaneously expanding digital infrastructure. Olawuyi stressed that without clear ethical principles, the promise of this transition could be compromised. According to him, clarifying the norms guiding AI use in environmental law will enhance reliability in decision-making, strengthen enforcement mechanisms and prevent technological abuse. He further urged universities to embed sustainability within technology-focused curricula, advocating interdisciplinary programmes that combine law, innovation and climate science. Instilling what he described as a “technopreneurial mindset” in students, he noted, would empower a new generation to harness AI responsibly for environmental monitoring, compliance and green enterprise. The conference ended with the symbolic handover of its flag to Alfaisal University, host of the 8th edition scheduled for 2027, where discussions will shift toward environmental law and corporate responsibility.