Professor Michael Osei Adu, Head of the Crop Science Department, UCC has emphasized the importance of ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agricultural education and climate-smart research.
Addressing postgraduate students and faculty of the School of Agriculture at the University of Cape Coast, he highlighted the need for academia to leverage AI to enhance research efforts while maintaining ethical standards.
The seminar, titled “Ethical Use of AI in Higher Agricultural Education and Climate-Smart Research,” aimed to foster responsible practices in the integration of AI within the field.
According to him, ethical use of AI defines academics’ progressively deeper understanding of fundamental ethics of AI skills to make safe and responsible use of AI comprehensive competencies.
“And that is why I think this is important that we also learn. AI pedagogy proposes a set of competencies required. I’m more particular about the competencies,” he stated adding that “It means that as academics, we also need to get the competencies.
“You cannot say AI is unethical and therefore you wouldn’t learn about it. Your students will use it, you can’t stop them,” he continued.
Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance at the University of Cape Coast, Professor Daniel Agyapong also outlined the vital role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing the skills and knowledge of entrepreneurs.
Speaking on the topic “Ethical Use of AI in Training Entrepreneurial and Digitally Oriented Young Men and Women,” Professor Agyapong highlighted the necessity for entrepreneurs to leverage AI technology while maintaining control over their work processes.
He acknowledged the growing prevalence of AI in various sectors emphasizing the importance of striking a balance and ensuring that AI complements human creativity and decision-making in entrepreneurial endeavors.
The call for ethical practices in the adoption of AI aligns with the increasing demand for responsible technology use in today’s digitally-oriented economy.
He mentioned AI tools they can leverage on including “Virtual mentors, AI-powered coaching, providing 24-7 guidance and support and ChatGPT as a coach”
“There are even platforms that are sources by which you can secure some funding.”
The seminar was organized by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) under the TAGDev 2.0 programme, with the support of the School of Agriculture at the University of Cape Coast.
Present at the seminar were officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and agricultural practitioners.
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