By Rachel Kakraba
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, by its Responsible Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (RAIL), is leveraging synthetic intelligence (AI) to handle real-world challenges in Ghana.
The project applies progressive approaches throughout sectors together with agriculture, well being, power, water and training. It additionally promotes incapacity inclusion by initiatives comparable to “SignTalk”, a software designed to bridge communication gaps in healthcare and enhance entry for individuals with listening to impairment.
The Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Responsible AI Lab, Jerry John Kponyo, disclosed this in an interview with GBCGhanaOn-line throughout a latest capacity-building coaching on science, expertise and innovation for journalists and content material creators in Accra.
Workshop
The four-day workshop was organised by the British High Commission Accra in partnership with the Responsible AI Lab at KNUST, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations.
It aimed to bridge the hole between the scientific group and the media by selling collaboration to make scientific data extra accessible to the general public.
KNUST RAIL project
KNUST, positioned in Kumasi, is a number one science and technology-focused college in Ghana. Through the RAIL project, it’s creating multidisciplinary options utilizing AI to assist sustainable growth.
The project focuses on making use of AI in agriculture, well being, power, training and water administration, contributing to efforts to scale back inequalities.
Real-time crop illness prognosis
Prof Kponyo stated AI is bettering agricultural monitoring by enabling sooner and extra exact detection of crop ailments.
“Previously, it took weeks to assess farm conditions. Now, by leveraging AI and large datasets, we can identify problems within seconds,” he stated.
He added that the system may advocate cures and talk them to farmers in native languages utilizing pure language processing.
Weather forecasting
The project can be bettering climate prediction to assist farming.
“We are working to accurately predict rainfall patterns by combining indigenous knowledge with data from the Meteorological Agency, helping farmers decide when to plant,” he stated.
Health sector improvements
Prof Kponyo stated the lab is making progress in healthcare by utilizing AI to generate MRI pictures from CT scans, which may scale back prices and enhance entry for sufferers.
He added that the expertise may assist faster prognosis of situations comparable to mind tumours.
Rare ailments
He famous that AI is getting used to assist the prognosis of uncommon ailments, which have an effect on an estimated three million Ghanaians.
By analysing genetic and medical knowledge, the system may also help establish situations extra shortly and enhance remedy outcomes.
SignTalk
The “SignTalk” software permits communication between healthcare suppliers and folks with listening to impairment.
“The system translates sign language into speech for doctors and converts spoken responses into sign language through an avatar,” he defined.
Intelligent white cane
The lab has additionally developed an clever white cane, often called “I See”, to help visually impaired individuals. The gadget supplies real-time details about environment and communicates in native languages, bettering mobility and independence.
Call for partnerships
Prof Kponyo known as for stronger collaboration between universities, trade and authorities to scale up AI improvements.
He emphasised the necessity to work with establishments such because the Ghana Health Service to increase the attain of health-related options.
He additionally urged journalists to play a extra energetic position in speaking scientific improvements to the general public.
“Our impact is measured by how we transform lives, not just by profit,” he stated.