The University of Ghana on Tuesday, November 18 hosted the launch of AI Innovations: Shaping the Future, a four-part book series examining artificial intelligence and its fast-evolving impact on various aspects of society.
The event brought together academics, policymakers, creatives, students, diplomats and industry players.
The four books, AI and the Creative Economy, AI and the Music Industry, Leveraging AI for Freelancing, and AI and Society, were authored and edited by Prof. Richard Boateng (UGBS), Prof. Sheena Lovia Boateng (UGBS), Prof. Thomas Anning-Dorson (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa), Dr. Joseph Budu (GIMPA), Dr. Obed Kwame Adzaku Penu (UGBS), and Mr. Jefferson Seyanya Seneadza (UGBS).
The others are Prof. Acheampong Owusu, Dr Jonathan Barnor (University of Education, Winneba), Dr John Serbe Marfo (KNUST), Prof. Emmanuel Awuni Kolog (Bank of Ghana), and Ms Zelda Arku and Mr Frederick Edem Broni Junior, both from UMaT.
The ceremony, held at the Cedi Conference Centre, opened with remarks delivered on behalf of Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo by Prof. Joseph Awetori Yaro, Provost of the College of Humanities, who reminded the audience that “AI should excel—not get abused.” His comments set the tone for a day defined by innovation, opportunity and responsibility.
In her keynote address, Australia’s High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Berenice Owen-Jones, highlighted the growing integration of AI in the global music industry.
Her remarks resonated strongly with practitioners, particularly as she recounted how Australian partnerships had helped project Ghanaian music publishing onto the global stage through Uptown Music and Audio Media. With investment support and digital tools, she noted, more than 1,000 Ghanaian artists had already benefited.
“This is going to help the Ghanaian music industry in general,” she said, underscoring AI’s potential to unlock new revenue streams for creatives.
A panel discussion moderated by Prof. Sheena Boateng explored AI’s influence on freelancing, creativity and the wider digital economy.
Editor of AI and Freelancing, Dr John Serbe Marfo, acknowledged Africa’s growing participation in the global digital marketplace but cautioned against entrenched biases in AI tools and severe infrastructure gaps that limit access. He called for clearer policy frameworks to enable Africans to “pay for and participate meaningfully in AI usage.”
President of the Internet Society (Ghana Chapter), Maud Adjeley Ashong Elliot, stressed that bridging the digital divide requires deliberate action. “We have not been intentional enough,” she said, urging policymakers to ensure vulnerable groups “are not left behind.”
Music executive Mr Jefferson Seneadza argued that the creative sector had been using AI unknowingly for years. He dismissed concerns about reduced originality, asserting instead that “AI is making things easier, cheaper and more accessible.”
Director-General of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), Hon. Dr Mark Olliver-Kevor said Ghana’s political stability and growing data-centre ecosystem positioned the country as a potential AI hub in Africa. He cited regulatory sandboxes, a forthcoming start-up bill and investments in sovereign cloud solutions as indicators of government commitment.
“We need our own contextualised data centres…The government is very invested,” he said.
Representing former President John A. Kufuor, Dr Pascal Brenya, a consultant with the J. A. Kufuor Foundation and Coordinator of the Kufuor Scholars Programme, referenced the former leader’s observations on AI in academia, including questions about why lecturers use AI to detect AI-generated student work.
According to him, President Kufuor believes that “we don’t have a choice—this is the way to go,” but he emphasised that empathy, communication and human skills will remain critical in the AI era.
Prof. Richard Boateng presented an AI-driven learning model that uses music to teach academic subjects and engage younger learners. He demonstrated how mathematics, statistics, policy and civic education can be translated into musical formats to appeal to Gen Z and Gen Alpha students.
Musician and composer Enoch Nana Yaw Oduro-Agyei, popularly known as Trigmatic, praised the initiative and encouraged creatives to adopt adaptive leadership as AI becomes embedded in music production.
He observed that AI tools already empower users to “sing even if you don’t know how to sing,” arguing that opposition often stems not from misunderstanding, but fear.
“People resist when they count their losses,” he said. “Empower yourself—learn how AI works, learn the prompts.”
He also expressed interest in working with the authors to integrate AI into school music clubs, adding that the final presentation “meant so much” given his personal struggles with memory during his early years.
The event ended with a visual AI-generated walkthrough of the four books, followed by calls from stakeholders to embrace reading and research as tools for national development.
The authors said the AI Innovations: Shaping the Future series marks only the beginning, with a new volume on AI in healthcare already in the pipeline.
