The American University of Nigeria (AUN) brought together academics, researchers, and industry leaders for its Fourth International Conference (AUNIC 2026) to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we live, work, conduct research, and address issues of economic development and security.
Held from October 28 to 31, 2026, the conference was themed “Artificial Intelligence Across Disciplines: Transforming Life, Research, Economy, and Security in the 21st Century.” It opened with an online workshop led by Prof. Adewale James and Dr. Olosho Adebayo, followed by plenary sessions.
In his opening address, AUN President, Prof. DeWayne P. Frazier, stressed the importance of embracing AI without losing sight of the role of human judgment and decision-making.
“There is no way that AI will ever take the place of the decisions that we make,” President Frazier stated. “We know our students better. We know what we’re researching. We understand humanity; AI does not. Essential fields like medicine, mathematics, and computer science will always require human expertise and intellectual discernment.”
AUN Provost, Prof. Bolade O. Agboola, expanded on this point, noting that while AI is accelerating scientific discovery and reshaping economic systems, its adoption must be guided by clear ethical principles.
“AI is transforming how we live, work, and conduct research,” Provost Agboola said. “However, its adoption must be accompanied by academic rigor, data privacy protection, respect for human rights, and an unwavering commitment to core human values.”
The conference also provided an opportunity for participants to explore academic publishing. Prof. Agboola encouraged researchers to develop their conference paper submissions into full manuscripts for consideration by the conference's open-access journals.
The journals covered six broad disciplinary areas: Social Sciences, Law, Business and Entrepreneurship, Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, and Pure and Applied Sciences, reflecting the conference's wide academic scope.
Reported by Pwagreno Blessing Moris