Learn AI or risk being left behind – A Plus advises Ghanaians

Gomoa Central MP Kwame A Plus has urged Ghanaians to embrace artificial intelligence (AI), warning that people who refuse to learn how to use emerging technology risk being left behind as industries continue to evolve.

The MP used examples from Ghana’s music industry, automobile technology and his own experience with AI to explain why professionals should adapt rather than dismiss new tools.

A Plus recalled how some people initially mocked burger highlife music by Daddy Lumba, George Darko, Nana Tuffour and other musicians as “computer music” because of its use of electronic instruments.

He explained that while some producers preferred traditional recording methods involving large numbers of musicians, others, including Zapp Mallet, Zola and Fredema, embraced technology and combined live instruments with electronic production.

“Before they could say Jack, Zapp Mallet, Zola, Fredema and others had embraced new technology and changed the game. They blended live instruments with electronic production, used fewer musicians, worked faster and cut costs,” he wrote.

He noted that some of the songs initially dismissed as computer music had since become classics, while studios that failed to adapt eventually became obsolete.

The MP also compared the situation to the introduction of automatic vehicles in Ghana, recalling how motorists initially dismissed them before many eventually embraced the technology.

Using the automobile industry as another example, he urged mechanics to start learning about electric vehicles, warning that those who spend the next five years mocking the new technology could lose customers to competitors who prepare for the transition.

A Plus further disclosed that he uses AI to create graphics, websites and promotional materials for projects such as Gomoa Eco Park, the Gomoa Easter Festival and the Gomoa Special Economic Zone, despite having no formal training in graphic or web design.

He said he had also been teaching friends who studied graphic design at university how to use AI tools to complete tasks that previously took them two days in just two minutes.

However, he cautioned that using AI effectively requires knowledge and the ability to give clear instructions.

“AI is no excuse for ignorance. Quality images, writing, websites and magazines require clear, informed prompts. Do you understand aspect ratios, composition, layers, positioning, resolution and upscaling? Can you explain what you want, assess the result and identify what needs correcting?” he asked.

He stressed that artificial intelligence does not replace formal education but makes professional knowledge and experience more useful when applied alongside new technology.

“AI does not replace formal education. Education enhances your ability to use it. Your command of language, professional training and subject knowledge help you give better instructions and judge the output,” he added.

A Plus encouraged Ghanaians to develop their AI skills rather than dismiss the technology, using the everyday example of people relying on calculators instead of manually working through multiplication tables to illustrate how technology can make tasks easier.

He ended with a warning to those unwilling to adapt, joking that they should abandon their cars and ride horses to Kumasi instead.

The MP also revealed that he had used ChatGPT to proofread and edit the same post, saying he had no time to manually correct every detail when technology could help him do so within seconds.