The Vice Chancellor of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMaC), Professor Eric Opoku Mensah, has warned that Ghana risks losing its competitive edge in the rapidly changing media landscape if urgent investments are not made to prepare communication professionals for the age of artificial intelligence.

According to him, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing journalism, broadcasting, advertising, film production, and other areas of communication, requiring institutions like UNIMAC to rethink how future media professionals are trained.

Speaking on Personality Profile with Lexis Bill on Joy FM, Prof. Opoku Mensah said communication education must evolve to meet the demands of a technology-driven world, where tools such as AI chatbots are already transforming how information is created, distributed and consumed.

He said UniMAC, as Ghana’s only specialised communication and media university, has a critical role to play in producing professionals capable of competing globally, but this will require significant investment in infrastructure and technology.

“If you are a training institution like UniMAC, then you need to understand how the university positions itself to deliver the kind of pedagogy that is needed to train the 21st century or AI-driven communication well,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor called for increased government support to enable the university to establish state-of-the-art AI laboratories, improve facilities, and expand infrastructure, including student accommodation.

“You need a lot of investment from the government because this is the only communication or media specialised university in the country. And if you want it to be a centre of attraction, then we need to do a lot more.”

He believes such investment will ensure graduates from UniMAC can compete with professionals from leading global media organisations such as the BBC and CNN.

Prof. Opoku Mensah noted that the media remains a powerful tool in shaping Ghana’s global image and telling Africa’s own story, adding that strengthening communication education is essential to maintaining the country’s influence on the continent.

He said UniMAC’s vision is to become a centre of excellence for communication education in Ghana and the sub-region by embracing innovation and preparing students for the future of media.