Prof. McBagonluri calls for national AI strategy

By Deborah Asantewaah SARFO

President of Academic City University College, Professor Fred McBagonluri, has emphasised the necessity for the formulation of a national strategy on artificial intelligence (AI), urging the government to prioritise its development alongside efforts to regulate cyberspace.

According to him, there are numerous areas associated with AI and it is imperative for the country to identify a specific aspect on which it intends to focus, allocating the necessary technology resources toward that direction to maximise benefits for everyone.

“We are talking about regulation, yet we have not thought about a national strategy. What do we want to do when we grow up? What are the areas in AI that we should put our resources around so that we can create the same level of jobs and opportunity for the teeming youth? I think it is also important that instead of trying to figure ways to regulate the space that we don’t really know too much about, we should also have a national strategy,” he said.

He made this known as a panellist at the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana’s (CIMG) Breakfast Panel Discussion organised in commemorating World Consumer Day. It was celebrated under the theme ‘Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers’.

Prof. McBagonluri further emphasised that AI will revolutionise ways of life, akin to the impact of smartphones. To fully realise this potential, he noted that Africans – particularly Ghanaians – should avoid excessive regulation of cyberspace; and instead focus on developing home-grown technologies to address local challenges.

Similarly, the Chief Technology Officer at AIDEC Digital, Emmanuel Gbeve, reiterated the vast implications of over-regulation, adding: “Even though the country needs to look at the principles in creating a safe cyberspace, it should be careful not to kill it”.

He further stated that some institutions in the country are currently producing AI graduates who would serve the market; hence, “individuals should not think that AI is dangerous. So we should clamp down on its adoption”.

Mr. Gbeve also advised digital users to allocate time and carefully review the terms and conditions before committing to specific products or software solutions.

The National President of (CIMG), Dr. Kasser Tee, on his part, emphasised on the power of AI to revolutionise experiences, offer personalised services and enhanced convenience.

He maintained that all must ensure that this technology is used ethically, with consumer protection at its core.

Notwithstanding the newness and dearth of regulatory frameworks, he stressed that consumer rights remain unchanged and, together with other fundamental rights in the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, must be recognised.

For her part, a Communications Professional at Cyber Security Authority, Mary Ama Bawa, indicated that cyber-criminals are thriving because some critical infrastructure agencies, such as banks and health sectors, do not report cases.

She, therefore, urged individuals and institutions to be swift in reporting cases to the CSA.

“From the incidence reports perspectives, it is important that when a bank, a health sector or any critical infrastructure agency picks up a vulnerability, they report it. But unfortunately, we don’t have these reports coming because possibly in the banking industry, if someone reports, there will be panic redraw. So they won’t report it.

She further explained that if an institution fails to report a case, the cyber-security ecosystem suffers because the regulator is unable to investigate the matter; and this can have repercussions that extend to other sectors of the economy.

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