Expert Urges Youth to Acquire AI Skills
Founder of the Anta NextGen Foundation, Dr. Mohammed Amin Anta, has urged Ghanaian youth to acquire the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly artificial intelligence-driven world.
He said artificial intelligence was rapidly transforming several sectors of the global economy and society, making it necessary for young people to understand and use the technology effectively.
Dr. Anta made the call at the Anta NextGen Foundation Youth Summit in Tamale, where he also cautioned young people against abusing artificial intelligence for harmful purposes.
According to him, AI is becoming both a major opportunity and a challenge amid global uncertainties, including climate change, energy price pressures, water scarcity and conflicts.
“AI is becoming the greatest asset, but also the greatest challenge,” he said.
He noted that AI was already influencing research, healthcare and several other areas of daily life, and urged the youth to develop the skills required to remain relevant.
He, however, warned against using the technology to manipulate people, plagiarise academic work, fabricate data or spread misinformation.
“You need these tools to improve your efficiency, but at the same time you need to use them responsibly,” Dr. Anta said.
He also called on the government and educational institutions to urgently establish appropriate regulations to guide the responsible use of AI as its adoption expands.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Anta NextGen Foundation, Alhaji Iddrisu Mohammed Saani, said the annual youth summit was designed to equip young people with leadership and problem-solving skills while steering them away from substance abuse.
He disclosed that the foundation had increased the number of participating youth from 30 last year to 50 this year.
The participants will be deployed to Bumbum in the Savelugu Municipality and Zangbalang in the Kumbungu District to identify challenges facing the communities and propose practical solutions.
Alhaji Saani said the initiative builds on last year’s programme, which resulted in a winning group identifying healthcare challenges in Sabari, leading to the provision of delivery beds, hospital beds and personal protective equipment.
“Our main focus is to train the youth and shift their attention from substance abuse into development-oriented activities,” he said.
The foundation will assess the proposals from the participating groups, with the winning team receiving support to implement its proposed community development project.
