The future of business lies in Human-AI collaboration – MTN Ghana CIO

The Chief Information Officer for MTN Ghana, Bernard Acquah has expressed confidence about the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI), acknowledging that AI offers immense potential in efficiency, innovation, decision-making, and customer focus, adding that the future of business lies in human-AI collaboration

He made this known at the second edition of the MTN Business CTIO Roundtable Africa Conference held at the plush Labadi Beach Hotel, which was well attended by industry experts, academia, government officials, relevant government agencies and industry partners.

Speaking on the theme "Driving Business Value Through Data and AI" as the guest keynote speaker, Mr. Acquah explained that in today's rapidly evolving digital world, the combination of AI and data has become a game-change noting that AI not only automates tasks, but aids in decision-making, and allows for a level of personalization previously impossible.

“Across the board, data and AI transform operations. Businesses reduce waste, prevent problems before they happen, find optimal pricing, safeguard themselves from fraud, and build strong customer relationships,” he stated.

The Chief Information Officer of MTN is also of the view that companies can't achieve their AI goals without prioritizing data quality and management, adding that a well-organized data strategy ensures that your AI models generate valuable outputs.

Touching on humans and AI further, Mr. Acquah encouraged businesses to think of AI as a tool that can process immense amounts of information, identify trends, and provide insights that humans can leverage for strategic decisions, stating that with such a powerful tool, businesses can pass on some creative problems and tasks onto the AI machine.  

“Imagine if you could describe the concept of your business, and an AI tool could generate a selection of logos for your company for you to select from.  If the images are not quite right, you simply tell the tool what to change, and hey presto, a new set is generated in seconds!” he noted. 

The second edition of the MTN Business CTIO Roundtable Africa Conference provides a knowledge-sharing platform for technology leaders and academia across Africa to deliberate on key issues in technology and digital innovation. Participants at the Roundtable shared industry insights, discussed challenges, and found solutions to drive digital transformation in a globally connected world while supporting local innovation.

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye