The Dean, Faculty of Law at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Budu, has called for a collaborative effort between legal practitioners and technology experts in order to utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve upon their service.
According to Dr Agyeman- Budu, AI would help practitioners to engage in research, enrich their knowledge and provide solutions to challenges within the profession.
"It is about time legal practitioners embrace the emergence of technology and utilise AI in their bid to provide lasting solutions to challenges within their domain including copyright issues," he stated.
He was speaking at the maiden edition of the Samuel Kofi Date-Bah Lecture Series organised by the Law Faculty of the Wisconsin International University College, Ghana in Accra.
The lecture in honour of renowned Ghanaian jurist, Prof. Justice (Rtd) Samuel Kofi Date-Bah, was held under the theme "Copyright Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Challenges and prospects in Ghana."
Dr Agyeman-Budu said "Ghana can leverage AI-generated content as an avenue to foster collaboration between AI developers, creators and right holders."
"By offering legal mechanisms that encourage partnerships and such collaborative arrangements, the country can incentivise the responsible and ethical use of AI for creative purposes," he stated.
This approach he said, would promote technology transfer and knowledge exchange, aligning with the broader national goal of an innovation and development-oriented copyrights regime.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
In addition he said, "it is time for Ghana to establish clear ethical guidelines either within the existing framework or under a new regime for creatives, AI developers and users, geared towards supporting responsible data usage, proper attribution of such copyrightable works used or adapted and compliance with copyright norms to address issues such as the use of copyrighted data without permission."
The Ghanaian legal system he said, must be prepared to address the intricate balance, taking into account the interests of both creators and the public good.
He commended the distinguished legal brain, Justice Date-Bah for his contribution to the transformation of the Ghanaian legal system and serving as inspiration to the younger generation.
Justice Bate-Bah was presented with a citation for his immense contribution to the growth of the profession and setting himself apart with a rich legacy that would remain forever.
In his acceptance speech, Justice Date- Bah said he was pleased to witness the launch of the lecture series in his honour, adding that it was a great idea that would be beneficial to the legal system.
"The legal sector thrives on discussion and rigorous analysis of legal issues and therefore providing a platform for insightful conversations about emerging legal issues is a valuable initiative," he stated,
He said, the value of the lecture series would be enhanced if each lecture was published as a standalone publication or aggregated with other lectures in the series for publication.
"It may also be a good idea for the promoters of the lecture series to secure the support of several law faculties to ensure its long-term sustainability," he added.
