As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries, professions and everyday life, Mohammed Gana Yisa, a Professor of Agricultural Engineering and former Nigerian Ambassador to Japan, has called for a deeper integration of science and art, describing the two disciplines as inseparable forces driving human creativity, innovation and development.
Yisa said the growing influence of AI had exposed the limitations of treating science and art as separate fields, arguing that meaningful innovation required both rigorous scientific thinking and the creative imagination associated with the arts.
He made this submission while delivering a lecture entitled, ‘The Convergence of Science and Art: Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technologies and Innovation in Focus,’ in Offa, Kwara State.
According to him, innovation is not merely the product of scientific discoveries or technological advancement but also an expression of creative art, driven by imagination, moments of insight and the courage to pursue ideas that may initially appear unrealistic.
He explained that the development of AI demonstrated how scientific knowledge and creative thinking could work together to produce transformative technologies.
Using the development of the attention mechanism in AI as an example, Yisa noted that such breakthroughs required both rigorous technical thinking and creative imagination to explore new possibilities.
He described AI as a convergence point where science and art interact across different fields, challenging the traditional boundaries established between them.
‘We cannot maintain the illusion of separation, as the experience forces us to integrate what we have forcefully separated,’ he said.
To illustrate the practical implications of this convergence, Yisa highlighted how AI was increasingly becoming a tool for problem-solving, decision-making and creative expression across professional fields.
He pointed to students using AI to brainstorm ideas before developing them in unexpected directions, medical practitioners deploying the technology to support diagnosis, lawyers analysing legal documents, financial analysts predicting market trends and artists generating architectural designs.
These examples, he argued, demonstrated that AI was not exclusively a scientific or technical tool but a platform through which analytical reasoning and creative imagination could combine to produce new solutions.
For Yisa, the future of innovation would depend increasingly on the ability of individuals to move beyond the limitations of a single discipline and embrace different ways of thinking.
The professor urged young people to familiarise themselves with AI and learn to use it practically to navigate emerging realities, solve problems and prepare for a meaningful and productive future.
He stressed that technological advancement would continue to change the skills required to remain relevant in the workplace, making adaptability, continuous learning and interdisciplinary thinking essential qualities for the next generation.
‘The practical reality of your future is that the ability to move fluidly between these modes of thinking will define your relevance, your impact and your fulfilment, no matter what field you enter,’ he said.
He explained that success in an increasingly technology-driven world would depend not only on acquiring specialised knowledge but also on understanding how different forms of knowledge could complement one another.
According to him, individuals who combine analytical thinking with creativity would be better positioned to respond to emerging challenges, develop innovative solutions and contribute meaningfully to their respective professions.
His message extended beyond young people to professionals, scientists, engineers, artists, content creators, business leaders, government, policymakers, educators, medical practitioners, lawyers, journalists and other practitioners whose work could be transformed by AI.
He urged them to embrace the technology judiciously while continuing to develop their professional capabilities, warning that resistance to learning and adaptation could limit their opportunities in a rapidly changing world.
‘The person who cannot adapt, who cannot learn, who cannot integrate new ways of thinking, will be left behind.
‘The person who can learn, adapt and integrate will thrive. This is the fundamental lesson of AI.
‘The most important skill of the 21st century is not a specific technical capacity; it is the ability to learn, adapt and integrate,’ Yisa explained.
While advocating the integration of science and art, Yisa’s argument also highlighted the importance of preserving the human qualities that give technological advancement meaning.
He suggested that the ability to move between different intellectual and creative approaches would become increasingly valuable, regardless of the career path individuals chose.