[POV] Shaping the Future: AI in Ghana & Beyond

Artificial Intelligence is shaking things up worldwide, but how far-reaching is this change? In Africa, the potential is massive, offering significant opportunities to shape the future. Let’s delve into the challenges and possibilities it holds, using Ghana as a prime example.

Diverse Data, Stronger AI

In AI, data is everything. AI systems learn from data so if it isn’t diverse, the AI’s abilities are limited and can lead to bias. This is a big deal in Africa, where digital access is limited and where many languages don’t make it into global AI datasets. There are well over 1,000 languages spoken in Africa—Ghana alone has over 80 languages—and they need representation in AI training data in order to reflect local knowledge and cultural nuances.

Investing in local AI research and infrastructure can address this data gap. Projects like Lelapa AI, an Africa-centric AI research and product lab that focuses on building language models, is a type of initiative needed to fill this gap. These investments improve AI performance locally and create more diverse and accurate datasets globally.

The Local Potential of AI

AI’s potential is very real when it comes to tackling some of the unique needs of countries and regions on this large and diverse continent. In Ghana, for instance, here are three areas where AI can have a big impact:

• Improving Healthcare and Social Services: AI can transform healthcare by improving diagnosis, treatment, and access to information. With only 0.2 doctors per 1,000 people in Ghana, compared to the US’s 2.6, AI-powered diagnostic tools can help provide much needed support, especially in rural areas.
• Leapfrogging into Economic Growth: Initiatives addressing food security or predicting floods for instance are already underway. Embracing digital technologies and AI innovation can speed up advancement toward sustainable development and inclusive economic growth.
• Creating the Workforce of Tomorrow: AI can further boost growth by improving access to quality education and creating new jobs in the tech sector. Right now, 80% of African school children don’t master the basics. EdTech solutions, like Rising Academies’ innovative AI-powered math tutor called Rori, can be great ways to improve learning. As for higher ed, Ghana is considered a major provider of quality education for sub-Saharan Africa. Further investing in AI education and skills training will ensure the workforce of tomorrow is ready.

Building the Future in Africa

Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africans under the age of 30. This young demographic brings unique opportunities for technologies like AI and represents a vast market.

“The continent is the youngest on the planet,” said Ghanaian-American Hall of Fame Inducted Marketing Executive Bozoma Saint John. “If you’re going to do anything successful in the next 20 years, you need to be on the continent of Africa.”

This is one of the reasons Saint John decided to join and lead the marketing strategy for Ghana’s Year of Return campaign—an initiative to forge closer ties between Ghana, the African continent and the African diaspora population. The mission is to make Ghana (and other African nations) the place to be for their rich heritage and broad opportunities.

The Road to Growth

Five years ago, Google saw Ghana’s potential and chose it to set up its AI lab focused on research tailored to Africa. Other tech giants are also investing in AI and digital infrastructure across Africa. Microsoft is another example. It aims to connect 100 million underserved people across Africa by the end of 2025 and supports initiative around AI education, research, and innovation.

Despite AI’s potential in Africa, funding remains short. Last year the continent attracted $3.5B in total venture capital, far behind the $290B the US attracted for AI alone over the past five years. But funding is growing to support the real and unique issues AI can tackle in Africa and the transformational power it holds for the continent.

What’s Next?

To maximize AI’s potential, there needs to be a concerted effort to boost investments, to expand initiatives across the continent and to promote globally the growth opportunities in Africa.

By removing geographical barriers and investing in these initiatives, innovation will accelerate, market opportunities will expand, and new leaders in AI will surface. And, this will contribute to the global efforts to harness AI’s potential — for the benefit of all.