Dr. David King Boison: “The Problem Is Not AI, But Who Trained It” – Publican AI System Sparks Debate at Port

Concerns over the newly deployed Publican AI system at Ghana’s port have drawn sharp commentary from tech experts, with Dr. David King Boison, CEO of AI Africa, weighing in on the controversy.

Speaking during a discussion on Kessben TV’s PUNCH, about the Publican AI system and port-related issues, Dr. Boison stressed that artificial intelligence is _“a simulation of human intelligence in a machine to work in lieu of humans”_ and has been around _“over a century”_, referencing popular actor James Bond’s movies.

Dr. Boison noted that AI can diagnose about 10,000 cases within a day, showcasing its efficiency.

However, he warned that systems can fail drastically if fed wrong information. _“AI can mess up big time if the right info is not fed to it, so the problem is not the AI but who trained it,”_ he said.

He emphasized that every country has its own customs, cultures, traditions, norms and behaviors. _“Every AI setting must be programmed to work in accordance with what they intend to do,”_ Dr. Boison added, calling for localization of AI systems deployed in Ghana.

Dr. Boison questioned whether the Publican AI was properly piloted before mainstream use at the port. This comes after complaints about basic errors by the system, including an incident where the AI allegedly saw a _“dodge ram and classify it a live animal.”_

“The error they are complaining about is too basic that shouldn’t have happened,”_ he stated.

Addressing concerns from freight forwarders, Dr. Boison said the issues of _“under-cutting and under-declarations are existential.”_ He urged stakeholders: _“If you are bringing AI, train it to be fair.”_ He noted that freight forwarders _“sit at the nerve centre of our country — if you mess this corridor up, you mess the economy.”

“The whole issue is about the algorithm,”_ he concluded, while maintaining that _“AI is a brilliant idea.”_ He added that local experts _“who have built ourselves here in Ghana are even able to interpret dreams with AI perfectly, let alone figures.”_

Port authorities are yet to respond to the concerns raised about the Publican AI system’s accuracy and implementation.