Accra: Workers and job seekers have been assured that their roles will not be taken over by Artificial Intelligence (AI), at least not in the near future. Mr. Jason Hickey, Senior Staff Engineer at Google Research, said AI would rather enhance productivity and support human work. "Use it productively for your own benefit. Let it serve you. Do not be afraid - use it," he advised. Mr. Hickey was addressing participants at an AI training organized by the United States Embassy in Accra.
According to Ghana News Agency, the training, the first of its kind under the Regional AI Seekers Series of Public Engagements, held across multiple American Centres, attracted participants from Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. Participants included journalists, digital strategists, artists, architects, social workers, and content creators. Mr. Hickey noted that rather than AI replacing jobs, individuals who were skilled in using AI tools effectively were more likely to take advantage of emerging opportunities. He was responding to concerns expressed by participants about the potential impact of AI on employment.
Providing historical context, Mr. Hickey explained that AI dated back to the 1950s, around the time early computers were developed, although there was no internet then. He added that modern AI was now used in areas such as business development, investor search, academic writing, and information retrieval. He emphasized that, unlike humans, AI did not possess true learning ability but operated based on data it had been trained on, making human intelligence and interaction indispensable. Mr. Hickey also cautioned users to verify AI-generated information, stressing that while it was a useful tool, it was not fully reliable. He urged African users to advocate appropriate policy frameworks to regulate AI and ensure user safety.
Charge d'affaires Rolf Olson said AI was transforming not only computing but also sectors such as the economy, weather forecasting, medical diagnosis, and agriculture. He described AI as a scientific breakthrough that supported innovators globally and helped to shape the future of technology. On issues of security and privacy, Mr. Olson said AI promoted transparency, openness, and freedom of expression but must be used responsibly, as outputs depended on the data provided. Mr. Perry Nelson, a representative of Google Research Africa in Ghana, said AI was being leveraged to solve problems across Africa. He cited applications in food security, Green Light (reducing carbon dioxide emissions), Open Buildings (mapping African structures), and weather forecasting among others. Mr. Nelson mentioned tools such as NotebookLM, Gemini, and ChatGPT as examples supporting social impact within Africa's AI ecosystem.
Participants were taken through the history of AI, its applications, data security considerations, regulatory issues, and associated risks.