By: Johannes Jafo Akunatu [0247019099; akjafo@gmail.com]
A quiet transformation is taking place. It is writing code, drafting contracts, reading X rays, answering customer calls, and also predicting what you will buy next. AI is out of the box. It is here. And it is has come to stay.
The real question is not if AI will transform our economy. It will. The issue is will that change empower us or unnerve us.
Across the world AI is re shaping work. Banks are automating risk assessment. News rooms are using AI tools to draft reports. Factories are rolling out smart machines which do in hours what used to take days. The countries that move fast will see growth in productivity, reduction in costs, and in drawing in capital. The countries that stand still will import the tools and export the profits.
Ghana is at a crossroads.
Our economy is very much in services, trade, agriculture and informal sector. We have Mobil Money agents all over the streets. Call centers handling customer care. Young graduates vying for clerical jobs in banks and ministries. AI is going after these roles. Chat bots which don’t demand salary are taking over. Automated systems which don’t get tired are processing applications. Smart logistics software is doing away with the need for layers of supervision.
This is practical, not theory.
We see how tech increases productivity which in turn raises output per worker. Companies do better with each employee. That is positive. But should productivity grow faster than job creation we see job displacement. In a which youth unemployment is high -- that displacement is tough.
Look at our universities. Each year we graduate into business admin, marketing, comm and general IT. Many of our grads look for white collar office work. AI is now doing marketing copy, spreadsheet analysis, presentation design and even writing code. If companies can pay for software once instead of salary monthly, they will.
The pressure won’t stop at the office.
In Ghana which has large agricultural sector – AI is transforming that also. We have precision farming tools which predict rain and crop disease. Drones are monitoring fields. AI models are what best practices in fertilizer use. Large scale farmers will be first in line to adopt these. Small scale farmers risk being left out unless we expand training and access.
Health care is also a story of AI. We have systems which scan medical images and flag early disease. In a which we lack specialist doctors -- this could save lives. Also it brings in new skills from nurses, techs, admins.
So will AI bring about a revolution?
In many ways it depends on which kind of revolution we see play out.
If we don’t do anything we may see a growing economic gap. A small group of tech savvy professionals and foreign firms will take over the tools. The rest of the population will be on the other side using AI products that are developed elsewhere. We will see money leaving our country.
Frustration will grow within. But there is also a different way.
We have what it takes. In Ghana we have a vibrant fintech sector. Also we have high mobile penetration. Our youth are very much into digital. We have innovation hubs in Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale that are supporting start ups. If we put in serious investment in digital education, in coding, data analysis and machine learning at the secondary and tertiary level we can produce builders not just users.
Policy plays a role. Government can put in place what it takes to promote local tech firms. Universities should partner with industry to train students on real world projects. Tax breaks for companies that develop AI tools locally. Also we must see to it that data protection laws are enforced so our citizens trust digital systems.
This is not about jumping on every band wagon out there. It is about what we want to position ourselves to be.
In urban Ghana we already live through our smartphones. We use them for food delivery, ride hailing, mobile banking, social media marketing. AI will make all of these systems better and more personal. Ads will target with precision. Prices do fluctuate.We present content that which you will enjoy.
But in to the convenience is a cultural issue.
As algorithms determine what news you see, what products you’re put in touch with, even which job apps get rejected before you apply, power shifts out of sight. If those algorithms are designed by teams abroad which don’t study our settings, they may play into bias or ignore local issues.
Economic change always has social consequences. The industrial revoloution did transform Europe but also caused unrest which only settled down after reforms took place. Ghana has a chance to learn from that. Tech without inclusion may cause tension.
The AI revolution in Ghana may not be political. It is structural. It can redefine who does well, who takes the lead, and who is left behind.
If young Ghanaians master AI tools they can take their services global without leaving home. A software engineer in Damongo can work for a company in Berlin. A data analyst in Tamale can advise companies in Nairobi. Geography becomes irrelevant.
If we fail to get our youth ready, AI will just take over what they hope to do.
The heart of the matter is preparation.
We must go beyond theory into skills based education. Coding should not be a luxury option. Data literacy should not be the domain of elite schools.Technical and vocational schools should adopt digital tools in the classroom. Farmers should have access to easy to use AI based advisory apps in their local languages.
Also business leaders must rethink their hiring practices. Instead of replacing workers which is out of question, companies can retrain staff to run and oversee AI systems. That transition is tough, but it is cheaper than mass unemployment and social strain.
Will AI bring about a revolution?
Yes, we would see that if we turn a blind eye.
Yes, we would see it if we allow the gap between the rich and the poor to grow.
Yes, if we bring in the tools from abroad and ship our opportunities out.
But also it can bring about a different kind of revolution. Of productivity, of smarter government, of better health care, and of globally competitive youth.
Tech is a neutral player. Not so strategy.
Ghana doesn’t need to fear artificial intelligence. What it needs to do is to study it and shape it.
The hum in the data centers won’t stop. The only question is will that sound be of disruption or development.
The choice as always is ours.
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