While Ghana has made strides in adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI), the country remains largely on the sidelines as a consumer rather than an active developer of AI products. According to Douglas Ayitey, Founder of MakersPlace, this must change if Ghana is to secure its place in the digital future.
He warns that without a shift toward AI development, the nation risks falling behind in the global technology race, becoming overly dependent on foreign solutions that may not fully align with its unique needs and aspirations.
In a conversation with The High Street Journal, Ayitey emphasized that AI is more than just a tool for efficiency; it is a strategic asset that nations must develop for themselves. He cautioned that excessive reliance on foreign AI could lead to technological dependency, economic stagnation, and a loss of cultural identity.
“If we refuse to build AI, others will shape our history, economy, and future in ways that may not reflect our realities,” he stated, stressing the urgent need for Ghana to develop homegrown AI capabilities.
The Risk of AI Without Local Context
One of the biggest concerns Ayitey raised is the challenge of algorithmic bias. AI systems, when built without local data, often fail to address the unique needs of the societies using them. This is already evident in areas such as healthcare, where diagnostic AI tools trained on western medical data may not accurately assess conditions common to Africans. Similarly, AI-driven hiring systems may unintentionally disadvantage African job seekers due to biases in training datasets.
“If we don’t build our own AI models, we will be forced to accept AI outputs that may misrepresent us,” Ayitey explained, highlighting how the absence of locally developed AI could reinforce inequalities rather than solve them.
AI as a Driver of Economic Growth
Beyond cultural and contextual concerns, AI is a major driver of economic transformation. Global estimates suggest that AI will contribute over $15.7 trillion to the world economy by 2030. However, Ghana risks being left behind if it does not move beyond simply adopting AI tools to actually developing them.
Countries that have taken AI development seriously, such as China and India, are now exporting their AI solutions, creating wealth and high-value jobs. According to Ayitey, Ghana must take a similar approach by fostering AI research and investing in homegrown AI startups that can create solutions tailored to local challenges in agriculture, finance, and healthcare.
“We missed out on previous industrial revolutions. We cannot afford to be spectators in this one,” he cautioned.
Investing in AI Education: The MakersPlace Approach
A key step towards AI development is equipping the next generation with the skills to build it. At MakersPlace, Ayitey and his team have been working to introduce AI and coding to young people, some as early as five years old. His philosophy is simple: if he cannot build every AI solution himself, he must at least empower a future generation that can.
He advocates for AI to be integrated into Ghana’s education system, ensuring that students are trained not just to use AI but to create and improve upon it. This, he believes, is the only way Ghana can build a sustainable AI ecosystem that competes on the global stage.
AI Will Not Take Jobs—But People Who Understand It Will
There is widespread concern that AI will eliminate jobs and render many people unemployed. However, Ayitey rejects this notion, arguing that AI is a tool meant to enhance human productivity, not replace it. The real risk, he explains, is not AI itself but the lack of AI literacy.
“AI is a tool. Those who learn to use it will become more efficient. Those who don’t will be replaced, not by AI itself, but by people who know how to use it,” he pointed out.
To address this, businesses must train their employees to work alongside AI, and policymakers should prioritize AI upskilling programs to prepare the workforce for the evolving job market.
The Ghana AI Summit: A Platform for Action
Recognizing the urgency of AI development, Ayitey highlighted the upcoming Ghana AI Summit, where industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators will discuss how to accelerate AI adoption in Ghana. The event, which seeks to bridge the gap between AI research and real-world application, will focus on developing AI talent, funding AI startups, and ensuring AI solutions are tailored to Ghana’s needs.
He believes the summit presents an opportunity to move beyond discussions and towards real policy commitments that will ensure Ghana takes its place in the global AI economy.
Source: Solomon Boakye || TheHighStreetJourrnal