Experts are calling on government to craft forward-looking policies that will unlock the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the country’s productive sectors, arguing that such a move is critical for long-term economic growth, security, and data sovereignty.
The call was made by Professor Quist-Aphetsi Kester, Dean of the School of Computational Sciences at Dominion University College (DUC), during the maiden Media AI Conference in Accra.
He stressed that Ghana risks missing out on the economic gains of the global AI revolution unless it takes deliberate steps to embed AI in national development.
“With the right policies, we can harness AI to grow our economy, improve service delivery, and drive innovation in agriculture, energy, health, and security, AI is not just about automation, it’s a tool for reshaping how we work, produce, and govern,” Prof. Kester said.
Prof. Kester pointed to numerous opportunities where AI could revolutionise public service delivery. He cited the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as a prime example, arguing that AI could help track illegal connections by analysing mobile payment and household consumption data, eliminating guesswork and saving fuel on inspections.
“AI can detect anomalies in electricity use patterns and guide grid expansion based on predicted demand. That’s how we can use technology to fix inefficiencies and expand access,” he noted.
He also highlighted AI’s potential for national security, saying it could help preempt threats by analysing media consumption patterns and online behaviour. “AI could help security agencies identify and act on risks before incidents occur, especially in a high-risk digital age,” he said.
Yet, Prof. Kester warned that Ghana’s AI potential is being undermined by over-reliance on foreign-owned infrastructure and weak data control.
He raised alarm over the fact that much of the country’s sensitive data, especially in health and security is stored and managed by foreign firms.
“Our hospital data is not in our hands. It’s with Israeli and Indian companies. They study our patterns, create tailored drugs, and sell them back to us. That’s a loss of economic and strategic value,” he cautioned.
To counter this, he called for the establishment of local data centres and legal frameworks that ensure Ghanaian control over its data. “Forget data privacy in the traditional sense, machines already read everything in real time. The real question is: do we control and benefit from our data?”
He urged policymakers to resist copy-pasting foreign AI policies and instead build local solutions, including AI governance systems and payment platforms that align with Ghana’s specific development needs.
On misinformation, Prof. Kester emphasised AI’s crucial role in protecting democracy. “It’s difficult for ordinary people to detect fake news. AI can help verify facts quickly, preserving truth in media and building trust in institutions,” he said.
Addressing fears of job losses, he explained that AI would expand employment opportunities, not eliminate them, especially in areas where humans and machines collaborate. “We’re moving from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, based on automation, to the Fifth, focused on human-AI partnership,” he noted.
Dr. David King Boison, Senior Research Fellow and AI expert, echoed these sentiments, stressing that AI localisation was key to digital sovereignty.
“Dubai has developed its own GPT model. Africa must do the same. We are already working on African-owned models in our native languages that will be open and accessible.”
The speakers jointly called on government, academia, and private sector actors to act urgently. They argued that with focused investment, Ghana could become a regional leader in AI, driving inclusive economic transformation and securing long-term digital independence.
