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Joke Silva urges Nigerian creatives to embrace AI as a tool, not a replacement at QED summit – Technology Times
Veteran Nigerian actress, director and businesswoman Joke Silva is urging creatives to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for enhancing their work rather than viewing the technology as a replacement for human creativity.
Silva made the call on Tuesday at the QED Creative Powerhouse Summit 2.0, themed “Creativity, Culture and Nigeria’s Next Chapter,” where industry stakeholders examined the changing dynamics of Nigeria’s creative economy and the growing influence of technology on creative production.
Speaking on how Nigerian creatives can adapt to the rapid development of AI while preserving originality, Silva says creatives should focus on using the technology to expand their ideas, improve their output and strengthen their creative processes.
“I think one of the ways to do that, a very simple answer without doing a deep dive, is as long as Nigerian creatives see AI as a tool, as a tool, not as something that is there to replace them,” she says.
“I think one of the ways to do that, a very simple answer without doing a deep dive, is as long as Nigerian creatives see AI as a tool, as a tool, not as something that is there to replace them,” she says.
AI and the question of creative jobs
The growing adoption of generative AI is raising concerns across the global creative industry, particularly over whether machines could eventually replace writers, filmmakers, designers, musicians, actors and other creative professionals.
Silva, however, says AI should primarily be regarded as an additional resource that creatives can use to strengthen their work, rather than as a substitute for human imagination and experience.
“Whenever you see AI work, you always know that this is AI work,” she says, underscoring what she sees as the continuing importance of the human element in creative production.
Her comments are coming amid a wider debate over the role of AI in an industry where originality, personal experience, cultural context and human interpretation remain important components of creative expression.
Rather than allowing concerns over job displacement to discourage adoption, Silva says creatives should learn how to incorporate AI into their existing workflows.
“I think what is very important is that if we see it as a tool that we can use to enhance whatever it is that we have thought about, the idea that we have, to expand the idea that we have,” she says.
Technology is changing creative production
The discussion comes as AI tools are increasingly capable of generating text, images, video, audio and other forms of creative content.
For Nigerian creatives, the technology is creating new possibilities for developing concepts, producing content and accelerating workflows. At the same time, its growing use is raising questions around originality, intellectual property, skills development and the preservation of local culture.
Silva’s position is that the starting point should remain the creative person’s own idea, with AI serving as an enabler rather than the source of creativity.
The approach reflects an emerging distinction in the creative economy: access to AI tools may become increasingly widespread, but the ability to develop distinctive ideas and translate them into culturally relevant work could remain a key competitive advantage.
Fosudo acknowledges that concerns over AI’s potential impact on employment are legitimate, but says creatives should also examine how the technology can save time and improve their production processes. “There are scenarios where that is absolutely true. Then the other thing is the other scenario of how can I leverage this new technology that is saving so much time,” he says.
AI can save time, improve creative workflows
The argument was echoed by Fisayo Fosudo, visual storyteller and technology and finance video producer, who also spoke at the summit.
Fosudo acknowledges that concerns over AI’s potential impact on employment are legitimate, but says creatives should also examine how the technology can save time and improve their production processes.
“There are scenarios where that is absolutely true. Then the other thing is the other scenario of how can I leverage this new technology that is saving so much time,” he says.
According to Fosudo, creatives who learn to integrate AI into their workflows could gain an advantage as technology becomes more deeply embedded in the creative ecosystem.
He compares AI with other tools that creative professionals have adopted over time, including video-editing software and Microsoft Word.
“How can I use this tool to improve my creativity?” he asks, placing AI within the broader evolution of technologies that have changed how creative professionals work.
Human creativity remains the differentiator
Fosudo says AI’s ability to generate content does not eliminate the need for human creativity. Instead, he says the critical question is how individuals use the technology to develop their own ideas and improve their work.
Large language models and AI-powered video systems can help creatives generate and refine ideas, create content and streamline production processes. But the quality and distinctiveness of the final output can still depend heavily on the creative thinking guiding the tools.
This distinction is becoming increasingly important as AI-generated content becomes more common and audiences are exposed to synthetic images, videos, voices and written material.
For Nigeria, the challenge is therefore extending beyond AI adoption. Creatives also need the skills, infrastructure, connectivity, training and business environment required to use the technology productively.
“We want creatives to learn how to run businesses, how to sign contracts, how to raise funds, and how to run their business in a way that it will stand whatever challenges people have to face,” Iyanda says.
Nigeria needs stronger creative infrastructure
Fosudo is also calling for stronger infrastructure to support Nigeria’s creative talent, arguing that the country has significant creative potential but lacks sufficient pathways for talent development.
“One thing I would like to see is maybe significantly better infrastructure for creativity, for creatives as well,” he says.
He argues that Nigeria needs systems capable of helping talented people develop their skills and transition into sustainable careers.
“We have so much talent, and our talent is very good,” Fosudo says. “How can we get it to be that we’re not just churning out this talent? There’s actually a pathway for talent to develop their craft, have that talent, and then go into something that is very profitable or very viable.”
The infrastructure gap therefore extends beyond physical facilities. It includes access to technology, training, professional networks, funding and market opportunities that can help transform creative skills into sustainable businesses.
As AI lowers some barriers to content production, the ability to access reliable digital infrastructure and acquire relevant technology skills could become even more important for Nigerian creatives seeking to compete locally and globally.
Creative industry needs stronger business structures
Olumide Iyanda, Founder and CEO of Mighty Media Plus Network and publisher of QED-NG, says the development of Nigeria’s creative industry also requires creatives to approach their work as businesses.
Iyanda says the QED Creative Powerhouse Summit was created to bring participants from different parts of the creative ecosystem together to discuss growth, solutions and collaboration.
According to him, one of the industry’s persistent challenges is that many creatives do not treat their work as a business.
He says creatives need to understand how to sign contracts, raise funds and build businesses capable of surviving the challenges associated with the industry.
“We want creatives to learn how to run businesses, how to sign contracts, how to raise funds, and how to run their business in a way that it will stand whatever challenges people have to face,” Iyanda says.
His comments broaden the AI debate beyond technology itself, highlighting the need for creatives to build commercial structures around their skills and intellectual property.
Nigeria’s creative economy faces a new technology test
The discussions at the summit are pointing to a Nigerian creative industry entering a new phase in which AI is increasingly becoming part of the production process.
For Silva, the priority is ensuring that AI strengthens rather than replaces the human element of creativity.
For Fosudo, the opportunity is in learning how to use the technology effectively to save time, improve workflows and enhance creative output.
For Iyanda, technology adoption needs to be accompanied by stronger business capabilities that can help creatives convert talent into sustainable careers and enterprises.
Taken together, the perspectives are suggesting that Nigeria’s next phase of creative growth will depend not simply on access to AI, but on how effectively creatives combine technology with original ideas, human skills, cultural context and viable business models.
The emerging challenge for Nigeria’s creative economy is therefore not whether AI will become part of creative production. Rather, it is how creatives, businesses and policymakers can ensure that the technology expands opportunities while preserving originality, protecting intellectual property and creating sustainable livelihoods for the people behind the work.
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