By Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA
Takoradi, Aug. 26, GNA – MTN Ghana has organised a virtual training programme for journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the effective, ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their professional activities.
The training was to deepen their understanding of emerging AI technologies and how they could be applied to research, analysis, content development and other professional tasks.
The programme formed part of activities marking MTN Ghana’s 30th anniversary and was designed to move participants from merely being curious about AI to becoming confident and responsible users of the technology.
Madam Efua Falconer, the Acting Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, MTN Ghana, urged participants to embrace the changing technological environment and ensure that they remained relevant in the emerging AI era.
She said it was important for professionals, particularly those who had not grown up with rapidly evolving digital technologies, to make deliberate efforts to understand and adapt to the changes.
“Most of us in this room are Gen X, and very soon we would transform into older generations. So, it’s very important that, at this point in our lives, we embrace the technologies that are changing and be abreast with what is happening around us,” she said.
Madam Falconer said MTN had brought together experts in the AI space to expose journalists and CSO representatives to practical applications of the technology and help them better appreciate its opportunities and limitations.
She expressed confidence that the training would give participants practical knowledge and experience of how AI was changing the way they worked.
The facilitators included Mr Samuel Adranyi, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Afrilogic Solutions; Mr Kwame Manu, Senior Manager, Digital Analytics and Monetisation; and Mr Nehemiah Yelu Attigah, Chief Executive Officer of HatuaTech.
The facilitators demonstrated practical applications of AI and discussed how the technology could support research, data analysis, content development and other professional functions.
Mr Samuel Adranyi, said AI worked well as a research tool, which could also help in drafting but must be verified to authenticate its information.
The participants were encouraged to treat AI as a tool to support professional work rather than a replacement for journalistic judgment, editorial responsibility and human verification.
For journalists, the emerging technology presents opportunities to improve upon efficiency in research, organise information, analyse large volumes of data and develop content.
The training also highlighted privacy and data protection as important considerations when using AI tools, particularly when handling confidential or sensitive information.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/ Christabel Addo
Reporter Mildred Siabi-Mensah
[email protected]