Academic stakeholders validate Ghana’s UNESCO AI Readiness Assessment report

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

Academic stakeholders have validated Ghana’s draft report under the UNESCO Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Methodology (AI RAM), in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s governance framework for artificial intelligence.

The engagement, convened by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, brought together members of academia to review and provide input into Ghana’s preparedness to develop and deploy artificial intelligence responsibly.

Speaking during the session, Emmanuel Ofori, Director for Innovation at the ministry, highlighted the dual nature of artificial intelligence, noting that while the technology offers transformative opportunities across sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, finance, education and public service delivery, it also introduces risks that require careful management.

He explained that the AI RAM process is designed to assess the foundational elements required to build a healthy artificial intelligence ecosystem in the country.

The engagement also underscored the critical role of universities and research institutions in advancing artificial intelligence development. Ofori noted that academic institutions contribute significantly through research, innovation, the development of local skills and by providing critical scrutiny of emerging technologies.

During the session, Jerry John Kponyo, Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Responsible AI Lab at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), presented key findings from the draft report assessing Ghana’s institutional, legal, social, scientific and economic readiness in line with the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.