{
  "id": 15274985,
  "title": "Hubtel deployed AI to help ECG identify suspected electricity theft – CEO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/hubtel-deployed-ai-to-help-ecg-identify-suspected-electricity-theft-15274985",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-17T20:29:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/hubtel-deployed-ai-to-help-ecg-identify-suspected-electricity-theft-ceo/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hubtel CEO Alex Bram revealed that the company collaborated with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in identifying customers potentially engaged in electricity theft. This pioneering application of AI was among the early initiatives developed by Hubtel's AI laboratory, showcasing the technology's potential to tackle practical issues faced by businesses and public institutions in Ghana. ECG granted Hubtel the opportunity to utilize its AI capabilities, employing electricity-related data that proved invaluable to the power distributor. According to Bram, the collaboration was highly beneficial, with the data continuing to assist ECG. Bram highlighted that Hubtel commenced exploring AI in 2022 before officially establishing an AI laboratory in 2023. Initially, the company concentrated on creating its own AI models using machine learning and neural network technologies, testing them with businesses to evaluate the models' effectiveness. Bram elaborated on Hubtel's journey, stating that they opened the AI laboratory in 2023 and were fortunate to partner with various companies to experiment with their built models. Some of these experiments yielded successful results. The application of AI to boost productivity, enhance public services, and address economic challenges will be a key topic at the second episode of the Digital Economy Forum, themed \"AI and the Ghana Economy: Opportunity or Disruption?\" The forum, co-hosted by Hubtel, will feature notable figures including Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations Minister Sam George; Dr Theo Acheampong, an Economist and Technical Advisor at the Finance Ministry; Adam Watkins, Founder of AI for Ghana; Augustine Adjei, Head of Engineering at Hubtel; and Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa. The forum will be broadcast live on JoyNews and Joy 99.7 FM on October 21, 2026, at 8 p.m. Bram's remarks exemplify a Ghanaian technology firm investigating the application of AI to a critical issue in the nation's energy sector - electricity theft.",
  "summary": "The Chief Executive Officer of Hubtel, Alex Bram, has disclosed that the company worked with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify customers suspected of stealing electricity.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Joy Business",
        "title": "Hubtel deployed AI to help ECG identify suspected electricity theft – CEO",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/hubtel-deployed-ai-to-help-ecg-identify-suspected-electricity-theft",
        "published": "2026-10-17T20:29:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}