How Hubtel is rethinking AI in Ghana: Own your data, rent the intelligence

Ghana has embraced artificial intelligence with a ten-year national strategy and a $270 million commitment from the government. However, the most useful answers may come from a local company, Hubtel, which has successfully implemented AI solutions. Augustine Adjei, Head of Engineering at Hubtel, explains that AI is both an opportunity and a disruption for Ghana.

He compares the disruption to a catapult, stating that while it may initially hurt, those who prepare will move forward faster. Hubtel learned the hard way that building its own AI can be expensive and time-consuming. Instead, they decided to own their data and rent the intelligence from leading global AI companies. Hubtel's virtual call center, for instance, uses an AI agent that answers customer inquiries by accessing Hubtel's own data.

This approach not only saves costs but also ensures that the AI is trained on Ghanaian data, making it more relevant and accurate for local users. Communications Minister Honorable Sam George emphasizes the importance of data quality, stating that AI models are only as good as their data sets. Hubtel is advocating for a national data exchange hub to help companies share data more efficiently, which will benefit the entire ecosystem.

The article concludes with five lessons for every Ghanaian: first, AI is not just a tool but a reflection of human bias, so it is crucial to feed it accurate, diverse, and local data; second, companies should adopt proven global tools first before building local solutions; third, understanding your problem well is essential before implementing AI; fourth, embrace change and evolve with technology to survive; and fifth, collaboration and sharing data will drive the growth of Ghana's digital economy.