Mr Asare Konadu Yamoah, President of Ghana Publishers Association, has urged members of the Association to take advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to market their materials.
“AI should not be seen as a replacement of human creativity but a tool that changes and improves what we can create, making it easier, more efficient and opening opportunities for transformational innovations that were previously unimaginable.”
The Chairman of Ghana International Book Fair said this at the public launch of the 21st Ghana International Book Fair under the theme “Books and Culture in the era of Artificial Intelligence”.
Mr Yamoah said the launch was expected to initiate the process of discussing how AI would not disrupt activities of the industry.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders such as lawmakers, copyright and intellectual property regulators, researchers, journalists, among others to join the discussion between August 8 and11, 2024, at the Accra International Conference Centre to advance creativity and culture.
“Every year, the Ghana International Book Fair offers the stakeholders in the book industry an opportunity to learn about how trends and experiences are changing the publishing landscape,” he said.
Mr Yamoah said: “Our culture is being challenged to exhibit a variety of adaptable options, and books are not exempted, thus as publishing professionals, looking far beyond what persists currently is not enough for our business practice and survival.”
He said publishers and other content creators must have answers to protecting intellectual property rights in the new age of AI, strengthening of data protection measures, improving on how AI users could ensure that content accessed were accurate and reliable.
They needed to as well know legal remedies were put in place to promise accountability and reduce the ability of the AI to harm individuals and other intellectual property rights holders, he added.
Madam Emily Fiagbedzi, Director of Training, Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), called on writers to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) because it was a helpful tool.
She encouraged them to focus on honing their craft and leveraging their unique strengths to create meaningful content that resonated with readers.
The Director of Training said in 2023, Artificial Intelligence transitioned from being a cutting-edge and somewhat underground tech interest to a public interest, a buzzword, and digital tools integrating into everyday life.
Although AI became a buzz word in the past year with the introduction of chat bots like ChatGPT, its solutions had been around for years but the technology had become smarter and more easily integrated into already tech-powered lives, she said.
She cited some AI as virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri on the iPhone or Google Assistant on android phones, recommendation systems, including what to watch next on Netflix or Youtube, personalised advertisements, a product most looked up online and shown on the side bar of several websites.
The AI-driven tools which were now part of everyday life were not considered cutting-edge anymore, she said, adding that just as many innovations, AI tools were evolving, catching interest, being explored and incorporated across industries.
However, the human touch with its depth of understanding, empathy, and storytelling ability, was irreplaceable, she said.
Madam Fiagbedzi said instead of Ghanaian writers and publishers fearing that AI would lead to joblessness, they should consider the unique human touch and connection the authors had with their target audience in telling and sharing Ghana’s rich culture, which could not be replaced by a machine.
Mr Edmond Moukala N’Gouemo, Country Director, UNESCO, Ghana, the Chairman for the occasion, said African cultures and civilisation must reflect in writings.
GNA
KK
04 April 24
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