Regional Director at ALX Enterprise, Nana Darko Asiedu, has said that businesses should see artificial intelligence (AI) as an opportunity to improve their operations rather than a threat to jobs and business growth.

According to Mr Asiedu, the biggest opportunities in the future of work will not necessarily go to businesses that simply adopt AI tools, but to those that successfully combine the technology with human intelligence and a strong understanding of their markets.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Monday, September 14, he said businesses needed to look beyond purchasing AI tools and focus on properly training their employees to use the technology.

“So the world of business opportunities will not just belong to people who adopt AI. It will belong to people who complement human intelligence, market understanding, and AI,” he said.

For him, the broader message is that businesses should not approach AI primarily with fear.

“For me, the key message is that AI should be treated as an opportunity rather than a threat in the few years to come,” Mr Asiedu said.

Mr Asiedu warned businesses against assuming that they had become AI-enabled simply because they had purchased access to AI platforms for their employees.

He said some businesses buy tools such as ChatGPT for their staff and consider that sufficient evidence that they have adopted AI, when in reality, they may only be at the beginning of the process.

“A lot of businesses, once they purchase tools like ChatGPT for their staff, think they have adopted AI,” he said.

“That’s actually not at a foundational stage because what businesses lose out is when the staff are not trained around literacy on AI.”

He said the importance of AI literacy, particularly as employees increasingly use AI platforms to carry out everyday tasks.

According to him, without proper training, workers could unknowingly expose sensitive company information while using AI tools.

“They now start putting the company information on these AI platforms,” he said.

Mr Asiedu therefore urged businesses to ensure that their employees understand how different AI platforms work, what information should be shared with them and how the tools should be used responsibly.

“What these AI platforms do is that when they collect your information, it now becomes their property,” he said.

He said businesses must therefore develop a clear understanding of AI before allowing employees to use the technology as part of their daily work.

“It’s very important that businesses really understand how to use these AI platforms,” he added.

Mr Asiedu also stressed that preparing businesses for the future should not be limited to AI training.

He said ALX Enterprise's services cover a range of skills that are becoming increasingly important to businesses, including management training, data science and data analytics.

“Also, our services are not just related to AI,” he said. “We do manager training; we do data science and data analytics.”

He described these areas as fundamental skills that businesses need to develop as they prepare for changes in the workplace.

“These are all important skills that businesses need to adopt because these are the fundamental skills right now when it comes to what businesses need and also looking into the future,” he said.

For organisations and business leaders who want to learn more about ALX Enterprise's services and how they can prepare for the growing use of AI, they can book a discovery call by contacting the organisation via email at ghana@alxafrica.com.

“Send an email to ghana@alxafrica.com, and we'll definitely get in touch to have that discovery call,” he said.

Businesses can also visit the ALX Enterprise hub at One Airport Square, fourth floor, in Accra.