In Accra’s Chorukor area, young Ghanaians are using computers for the first time. Inside a small digital lab, facilitators use smart tools to teach digital literacy, a skill that can change lives.
Some students already have big dreams. “I learned a lot. I love technology and things like that, but this class gave me knowledge. It gave me inspiration,” said IT student Emmanuel Dwamena Tenkoran.
American social entrepreneur Patricia Wilkins is among those investing in artificial intelligence (AI) education for underprivileged youth in Ghana. Her organization, Basics International, runs the Chorkor Digital Lab, which teaches digital skills to young people.
“We started this program only a few months ago, but we already have one group of students. We are running a second group, with almost 100 students and three classes,” Wilkins told DW. “Technology is the future. Here are the jobs. This is where people can work remotely.”
A continental push for AI in education
Similar efforts are gaining momentum across Africa. On November 5, more than 1,500 education and technology experts gathered in Accra for a conference on AI and its impact on education.
The central theme is integrating AI into education systems to drive transformation and unlock opportunities for innovation and sustainable development for young people.
Gideon Owusu-Agyeman of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan ICT Center said, “[When we talk about AI in education]we look at the technological tools that we are using to solve problems in the educational environment. Or we look at the technologies that can be used to enhance teaching and learning within the education system.”
“We now have intelligent tutoring machines that help students learn,” Agyeman added. “AI will also improve teaching and learning…The use of AI will become mainstream in all of our educational settings.”
The fears and opportunities of AI in African education
Despite the optimism, some educators, particularly in universities, remain wary of AI’s disruptive potential.
Ekwawu Spio-Gabra, founder of the Ghana Education Trust Fund and former Ghanaian education minister, told DW that despite the many benefits of technology and AI, Africa and its educational institutions are still crawling and must wake up to its potential and dangers.
“I’m sounding the alarm,” Spio-Gabra said. “Ghana needs to wake up, Africa needs to wake up and the world needs to wake up too because so many of us are asleep.”
“Many educational institutions are asleep. We are in a brave new world where machine makers are preparing to take over the world,” he added.
Spio-Gabra said African educational institutions should also be actively involved in training and positioning the continent to own and manage its own AI technologies.
Policies shaping AI education in Africa
Experts are calling for clear policies to address concerns and guide implementation.
Deborah Asma, CEO of Npontu Technologies, which specializes in AI, said, “We need a policy on AI in education… When we have intentional, concrete policy around AI and education, it guides the conversation and takes us from just discussion to reality.”
Ghana is already working in this direction, developing policies to guide AI education and create new opportunities for young people.
AI with African values
Sam George, Ghana’s Minister of Communications, emphasized the importance of culturally relevant AI.
“Artificial intelligence serves people, reflects our values, and accelerates our development goals. We welcome collaboration, investment, and innovation, but we also advocate equity, inclusion, and respect for digital sovereignty.”
The minister warned against external domination: “AI solutions for Africa must not be built by non-Africans, lest Africa becomes digitally colonized again.”
AI for sustainable development
Phoebe Kundoli, professor of economics at the Athens University of Economics and Business, believes that AI is a catalyst for sustainable development.
“Artificial intelligence has great potential to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals by enabling data-driven decision-making, optimizing resource use and designing innovative solutions…”
But she also cautioned that “the key is to ensure responsible and inclusive AI, based on ethical principles, human values, and fair access.”
Educational institutions across Africa are now offering AI courses and learning systems are evolving to incorporate smart technology.
Former UN Under-Secretary-General Amir Dossal believes Africa is ready to take the lead.
“Africa is not a bystander in this global competition. You are the disruptors…Africa has the power to leapfrog these outdated modules and change the dynamics, rewriting the rules of global AI,” Dossall said.
“These are not just dreams,” he added. “This is Africa’s next reality… We can provide a blueprint to inspire others.”
Editor: Keith Walker
