FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Accra, March 12, 2024] – We are pleased to announce the success of the March Session of the Youth in AI Series, which focused on the theme “What is Artificial Intelligence? Friend or Foe?” The event took place on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm GMT held virtually via Meet.

The event featured an insightful keynote and panel sessions with esteemed industry leaders discussing the implications of artificial intelligence on society. Speakers included Mubarak Sumaila, Co-Founder & CEO of BezoMoney; Samuel Tettey Amanor, Founder & CEO of BlueSPACE Africa; and Adiza Alhassan, Women Tech Makers Ambassador at Google. The session was moderated by Misbawu Abdallah, Founder & CEO of EPDL Training.

Samuel Tettey Amanor hinted on the necessity for the youth in Africa to take advantage of the current AI boom. “We’ve digitized quite a lot of things, and I think the next level of digitization is going to be digitizing intelligence,” says Mr. Samuel. “What we say and how we reason must be digitized and I think AI has that potential to mimic our human neural network and bring about some element of productivity to our day-to-day operations.”

During the panel discussions, the speakers delved into various topics, including the definition of AI and its importance in today’s world. Other important discussion points included examples of AI tools improving everyday life, implications of AI on the future of work, opportunities for youth in AI and challenges of integrating AI into various industries such as education, health, finance, and so on.

“A lot has been said about AI, but down here in Africa we are being left out when it comes to empowering or contributing to major steps in AI and I think most of the schools should take up the initiative to make research. And young individuals should take up courses to develop themselves,” says Adiza Alhassan. “ Also, I think the most effective initiative is basically interactive online courses, joining workshops and seminars to get more diverse perspectives about AI and also joining community groups like  Google Techmakers Ambassadors Programs, Python Community, Google Developer Groups, and so on.”

“The reason why Elon is fighting OpenAI is that AI is growing very fast, in fact too fast and we don’t know where it’s going to end. And so it’s quite scary to see how fast it’s going and if it is not controlled by the government, these companies could end up building something that could jeopardize the whole internet and cause a lot of harm,” added Mubarak Sumaila. “These major countries have to come together to set up a certain council that would regulate AI”.

The event attracted a diverse audience of youth, students, and enthusiasts interested in AI. Attendees actively participated in the Q&A session, engaging with the speakers and gaining deeper insights into the complex landscape of artificial intelligence.

“I learned about some fascinating AI tools, including Mid Journey for image generation and Sonauto for music generation. It’s incredible to see how AI is evolving to create art and music, showcasing its potential for creativity and innovation,” shared by an impressed attendee on LinkedIn, “The panelists emphasized that AI is not slowing down anytime soon, with its implementation spanning across sectors such as industry, education, health, and agriculture. They also highlighted the importance of exploring other emerging technologies like the Internet of Things and Blockchain.”

“We are grateful to our esteemed speakers and attendees for their contributions to this enlightening discussion,” added Misbawu Abdallah, Founding President of Youth in AI. “The success of this session of the Youth in AI Series demonstrates the importance of continued dialogue and engagement in shaping the future of AI in Ghana and Africa at large.”

For more information about upcoming events and initiatives, please visit www.youthinai.org.

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Youth in AI

Abeka-Lapaz, Accra, Ghana

www.youthinai.org