The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, says that workers who fail to adapt to changing technology risk losing their jobs as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the world of work.
According to him, the ability to evolve and acquire new skills will be critical for workers seeking to remain relevant as workplaces increasingly adopt new technologies.
Speaking during the Digital Economy Forum on AI and the Ghana Economy on JoyNews on Wednesday, October 21, Mr George said technological advancement had historically transformed jobs, forcing workers to learn new skills to remain employable.
“Those who evolve and adapt will survive. Those who fail to evolve and adapt will fall off. It’s the hard reality of artificial intelligence,” he said.
To illustrate his point, the Minister recounted the experience of an aunt who worked as a Grade Three stenographer in the public service when he was younger.
He explained that she used a manual typewriter before the introduction of electronic typewriters and computers gradually changed how office work was performed.
According to him, workers who relied on traditional typewriters had to learn how to use computers and software applications, including Microsoft Office, as workplaces modernised.
Mr George said his aunt would have risked losing her job if she had failed to acquire the skills needed to operate the new technology.
“If she did not learn with Mavis Beacon, as most people did at that time, how to use the Microsoft Office suite, she would have lost her job because by 2000 you didn’t have any typewriters sitting in the public service,” he said.
He used the example to underscore the importance of continuous learning and adaptation as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into professional and business activities.
The Minister’s remarks highlight the growing debate over AI’s implications for employment, with workers and businesses facing pressure to develop new capabilities as technology changes how tasks are performed.
He added that, as with previous technological shifts, the ability to adapt will be essential for workers navigating the changes artificial intelligence brings to the workplace.