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Former Vice President of Ghana and 2028 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mahamudu Bawumia, has stated that while artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly transform the nature of work, it is unlikely to lead to widespread job losses.
Speaking at the LSE Africa Summit 2026, Dr Bawumia explained that AI should not be viewed as a single tool but rather as a complex system made up of infrastructure, data, and processes that shape its real-world impact.
“We should be clear at the outset: most people do not experience ‘AI’ as a single model… They experience AI as a stack,” he noted.
Citing global estimates, Dr Bawumia indicated that about 40 per cent of jobs are exposed to AI-driven changes. However, he clarified that this does not mean those jobs will disappear, but rather that the tasks within them will evolve.
“The point is not that ‘40% of jobs will vanish,’ but that AI will reshape tasks and productivity across a large share of work,” he said.
He stressed that the key challenge for policymakers is to ensure that workers are supported to transition into roles where AI enhances, rather than replaces, their productivity.
Dr Bawumia also highlighted the unique challenges facing Africa, particularly due to its large informal sector. He called for tailored strategies that focus on inclusion, skills development, and support for small businesses to ensure no one is left behind.
He concluded that with the right policies in place, AI could serve as a powerful driver of economic growth and shared prosperity across the continent.
“If we get this right, AI can become a productivity engine for agriculture, health, education, climate resilience, and digital trade,” he added.
