Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, has argued that artificial intelligence could take over roles performed by highly skilled professionals before it succeeds in replicating the spontaneity and human connection demonstrated by Nigerian content creator, Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller.
Omokri described Peller as a “money spinner”, attributing the young content creator’s appeal to his ability to connect with people and establish relationships, qualities he said artificial intelligence may struggle to reproduce.
He made the remarks on Saturday in a lengthy commentary titled, “Peller and the Olodo Uprising: An Unpopular Opinion,” where he maintained that Peller’s playful nature and capacity to engage people could become more valuable as technology continues to advance.
While noting that Peller had faced criticism for being “goofy” and “silly”, Omokri argued that those same traits could be responsible for his appeal among audiences and celebrities.
He wrote, “Let me shock you with a statement of fact: Artificial intelligence will replace doctors before it can replace someone like Peller.”
According to Omokri, spontaneity, humour and playfulness are human characteristics that may prove difficult for artificial intelligence to reproduce because they are closely associated with natural human behaviour.
He said, “Because it takes a human to be goofy and act slapstick. I do not see AI ever doing stand-up comedy, like any of our comedians, or improv kookiness, like Peller. That spontaneity and wacky playfulness are things all of us had in childhood, but most of us lost as we became adults.”
The former presidential aide said Peller’s rise should encourage parents to reconsider the way they evaluate their children’s academic performance and prospects for the future.
He advised parents to remain committed to their children’s education but cautioned against measuring their potential by comparing their academic results with those of other children.
He wrote, “This so called Olodo Uprising is a challenge and as a parent, encourage your child to study and improve their minds.”
Omokri maintained that traditional education and established career paths would continue to have relevance, but noted that technological advances were opening up other opportunities for people to achieve success.
He wrote, “So don’t pressure your children or mock your wards because they aren’t getting the best grades. Don’t ‘see your mate’ them! The world has changed.”
He further asserted that artificial intelligence was already surpassing professionals in certain areas, including accountancy, engineering and law, although he did not cite evidence to support the claims.
Omokri also highlighted the growing use of automation at airports, saying technological systems were reducing the need for travellers to interact directly with human personnel.
“In Nigeria today, the Governor of Kaduna and I landed at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport from London and didn’t have to deal with a human being until we left the airport. AI has automated everything. E-gates scan your passport, and off you go!” he wrote.
He also referenced the deployment of driverless vehicles in California, predicting that autonomous technology could eventually have a major impact on conventional taxi and ride-hailing driving jobs.
Despite the disruption technology could cause across various industries, Omokri said human warmth, humour and spontaneity would remain valuable qualities that AI could not eliminate.
“We do not yet know how far AI will go. But we do know it can never replace human fun and spontaneity. And that is what we have to ensure that our children retain,” he said.
Omokri attributed part of Peller’s commercial success to his ability to entertain and connect with others without taking himself too seriously, despite the criticism surrounding his academic performance.
He wrote, “Let them have fun and be fun to be around. That will make them AI-proof.”
Omokri added, “That Olodo boy called Peller is a money spinner, connecting with people and building bridges globally, because he has what AI cannot replicate in a thousand years. He has warmth, innocence, purity and the ability not to take himself seriously.”
He likened Peller’s perceived innocence and purity to qualities he believed contributed to the appeal of the late American pop star, Michael Jackson.
The ambassador-designate also referenced a statement attributed to former Beatles member John Lennon on the importance of happiness, using it to buttress his position that academic qualifications should not be regarded as the only indicators of achievement or fulfilment.
Omokri concluded by calling on parents to place greater emphasis on their children’s happiness and wellbeing while allowing them to develop additional abilities and personal qualities.
“As long as you have a healthy, happy child, you and they can add everything else to their life later,” he said.
