CXP urges businesses to localize AI to improve customer experience

The Customer Experience Professionals (CXP) has urged Ghanaian businesses to adapt artificial intelligence (AI) tools to better serve local customers and enhance their overall experience. This recommendation was made during the 6th Annual CXP Conference and Ghana CX Awards, which celebrated commendable customer experience practices while exploring strategies to transform service delivery in the country. The event focused on the theme, "Experience Management: Transforming Business. Empowering Citizens. Positioning Ghana."

CXP President Esther Dokuwaa Ofosuhene emphasized that AI adoption should be tailored to local needs, particularly by incorporating Ghanaian languages to ensure digital services are accessible to more individuals. She highlighted that, "for me, I believe the future will always be human, because AI is supposed to help improve the life of humans."

She urged institutions to develop AI solutions that address local realities, stating, "let’s build on AI, but let’s localize it so that it can help support our local economy and our local institutions."

Michael Harry Yamson, Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, noted that the government is increasingly seeking citizens' input on development projects, including their relevance, delivery speed, and quality. He explained that this move marks a shift from merely preparing budgets and executing projects to engaging citizens in the decision-making process regarding resource allocation.

Yamson stated, "Now we don’t just look at projects. We don’t just look in executing the government's policy of bringing back our legacy projects and actually completing them. We're also asking citizens to comment on the relevance of the projects themselves."

Chief Digital Officer at MTN Ghana, Ibrahim Misto, called on technology developers to focus on addressing problems within their communities rather than pursuing technology advancements for their own sake. He emphasized that solutions rooted in local needs are more effective in tackling challenges faced by Ghana and similar markets. Misto stated, "Look for local problems, don’t fall in love with the code or the model, fall in love with the technology and with your problem."

Joe Jackson, CEO of Dalex Finance, cautioned businesses against assuming that digitizing existing processes automatically leads to improved customer experience. He stressed that companies must ensure digital platforms are user-friendly, accessible, and designed with customers' needs in mind. Jackson remarked, "Making a bad process digital does not make it a good process. What gives me a good experience is if it is simple, if I can use it without depending on someone."

The discussions underscored the importance of integrating technology with human-centered service delivery, ensuring that digital transformation results in more accessible, efficient, and relevant experiences for both customers and citizens.