Ghana Urged to Develop AI Policies for Economic and Security Enhancement

Accra: The government has been urged to formulate robust policies to enhance the adoption and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ghana's productive sectors. The call was made by Professor Quist-Aphetsi Kester, Dean of the School of Computational Sciences at Dominion University College (DUC), who said AI could boost innovation, data sovereignty, and economic growth.According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Kester emphasized that Ghana must position itself at the forefront of AI adoption in the sub-region. He asserted, 'With the right policies, we can leverage AI to strengthen our economy, enhance security, and drive sustainable development.' His comments were made during the maiden Media AI Conference in Accra, themed 'Artificial Intelligence, Truth, and Media Innovation.'The conference, organized by DUC, gathered students, journalists, and technology experts to explore AI's transformative role in media and governance. Attendees participated in sessions focusing on Deepfake and Misinformation Det ection, Prompt Engineering, AI Tools for Content Creation, and Building a Media AI Toolkit.Prof. Kester warned that Ghana risked lagging in the global technological race if it failed to integrate AI into governance and industry while neglecting its data resources. He expressed concern over the control of critical data by foreign entities, particularly in the health and security sectors.'Our hospital data is not with us. It is handled by some Indian and Israeli companies. They use that data to study our health patterns, develop drugs tailored for our environment, and then sell them back to us at a profit,' he remarked, stressing the need for data ownership and local AI solutions.Dr. Kester emphasized the necessity for data centers and policies to retain national data ownership, noting that traditional data privacy concerns are overshadowed by the need to control and utilize data for development. He highlighted AI's potential in transforming national systems, including electricity distribution and law enf orcement.He suggested that AI could help detect illegal power connections and predict electricity usage patterns, aiding infrastructure development. In security, AI could monitor activities and prevent threats, thereby supporting security agencies.Prof. Kester advised against wholesale adoption of foreign AI policies, advocating instead for home-grown solutions and governance frameworks to fortify domestic industries and position Ghana as a leader in AI within West Africa. He also underscored AI's role in combating misinformation to protect media truth and democracy.Regarding employment, Prof. Kester clarified that AI would not eliminate jobs but expand opportunities. Dr. David King Boison, an AI expert and Senior Research Fellow, echoed the call for strategic AI investment, noting the shift towards the Fifth Industrial Revolution, characterized by human-AI collaboration.Dr. Boison mentioned that while Dubai has developed its own GPT model, efforts are underway to create African-owned AI models in ind igenous languages, accessible to citizens. 'We are also training African models that will give us independence from expensive foreign AI systems,' he added.