Artificial Intelligence (AI) has great potential for good within Africa but also carries tremendous risks. To help the youth, mostly students, to acknowledge these potentials and threats, MTN-Ghana has, as part of its thirtieth-anniversary celebration of the Y’ello Care programme selected some Senior High Schools where AI experts engaged students to brainstorm the pros and cons of AI and the digital literacy.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a technology, that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities. Some tasks AI performs include visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making
The day’s event began with a debate among the students on the potentials and risks that go with artificial intelligence. At the end of it all, the winner was given a cash award for bringing out many potentials that the AI has.
The Human Resource manager in charge of the Central and Western Regions, Regina Arkafie, explained that the Y’ello Care programme is an MTN staff volunteer activity, held every year to undertake corporate social responsibility. She disclosed that this year’s celebration commemorates thirty years of the introduction of the Y’ello Care programme in Ghana.
Miss Regina Arkafie noted that this year’s celebration is under the theme “Education for Rural Communities, learn for today and tomorrow”. In line with the theme, she noted, students from selected schools across the country would be educated in digital literacy, robotics and AI.
Miss Regina Arkafie indicated that the management of the MTN targeted students from second-cycle institutions so that they would better understand the usefulness and dangers that go with AI before enrolling in tertiary institutions.
Miss Regina Arkafie asked students to see how the Vice president of the nation, Alhaji Dr Mahmoud Bawumia, has been promoting the message of digitalization as the need for them to take the study of digital education seriously. She used the occasion to plead with all in the country to also take the study of literacy education seriously so as not to fall prey to scammers who use their AI to defraud them.
Miss Regina Arkafie revealed that during this year’s Y’ello Care event, MTN-Ghana has decided to drill bore holes in the selected schools to help address water shortages such schools.
The head of Duapa Workspace, a well-known Literacy Education firm in Takoradi, Erasmus Mensah Ackon, disclosed that for three years, his company has educated the youth during the Y’ello Care programme on the need to take digital literacy education seriously.
Mr. Ackon said that acquiring AI skills has become important – it makes people employable.
He, however, noted that much as AI is good, it has some lapses. Hence, he advised students to avoid overreliance on AI-generated answers to their questions, but rather use their human capabilities to do academic assessments independently.
