GTDCs AI Video Gamble Pays Off as Social Media Views Soar

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Professor Kobby Mensah, says a bold decision to approve an experimental artificial intelligence (AI) promotional video has significantly boosted the organisation’s digital visibility.

In an exclusive interview with Kafui Dey on What Dey Happen on ZED 101.9 FM, Prof. Mensah disclosed that when he assumed office last year, GTDC’s digital presence was largely inactive despite having social media accounts and a website.

“Before I took over, the company had a website and social media pages, but they were not vibrant in the digital space. So we started training staff on how to properly use social media to promote our work,” he said.

According to him, the company initially struggled to attract engagement online despite investing time and resources into content production. “We were producing videos and putting them out there, but sometimes they would get just about 20 views,” he noted.

The turning point came when a national service personnel attached to GTDC proposed producing a promotional video using artificial intelligence.

“One of the young national service staff told me she was trying her hand at an AI video,” Prof. Mensah recounted. “She sent it to me and asked what I thought.”

He admitted that his first reaction was cautious, but he chose to reflect on the idea before making a decision.

“I had to think about the possible consequences, whether the controversy would be about using AI or about the quality of the production. But AI is now widely used, even in academia, so I decided to give it a chance,” he said.

After deliberating, he approved the video for publication. “I told them, ‘Let it fly,’” he said. The result exceeded expectations.

“Within a short time, the video jumped from around 20 views to over 600,000 views online. It was the best decision I made,” Prof. Mensah revealed.

The video has since generated significant online discussion, with notable Ghanaian media personalities including Serwaa Amihere and Kwadwo Sheldon joining the conversation.

While some critics questioned the use of AI instead of hiring human actors, Prof. Mensah defended the move.

“People say we should use human beings instead of AI,” he said. “But we have used human productions before and got just 20 views. Sometimes you have to try something new.”