Former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. John Kingsley Krugu, has cautioned that Ghana’s increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in education could result in a generation of graduates who hold certificates but lack the skills those qualifications are expected to demonstrate.
Dr. Krugu, who served as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Bawku West–Zebilla in the 2024 elections and currently serves as spokesperson for the party’s Environment and Natural Resources Sector Policy Committee for Election 2028, made the remarks in an interview with A1 Radio 101.1 MHz in Bolgatanga.
Speaking during the station’s latest news segment, the academic and development expert acknowledged the significant opportunities AI offers for learning, research and productivity. However, he warned that the growing practice of using AI as a shortcut instead of a tool to support learning is becoming increasingly worrying.
According to Dr. Krugu, many students now rely on generative AI applications such as ChatGPT to complete assignments, dissertations and research projects that they are ultimately unable to explain or defend.
He said this trend risks undermining the critical thinking, writing, analytical and problem-solving abilities that university education is intended to develop.
“What we risk creating is a generation of ‘never-skilled’ graduates – people who have degrees but never actually acquired the skills those degrees are supposed to represent,” Dr. Krugu said. He explained that when students outsource all their thinking to AI, they miss the essential transformation that comes with higher education.
“The danger is not that AI will become human, but that humans will become mechanical – accepting automated outputs without reflection,” he cautioned. Dr. Krugu noted that employers are already complaining about graduates who cannot write clear reports, communicate effectively, manage time or apply basic subject knowledge- gaps that are masked by AI-assisted academic work but exposed in the workplace.
He stressed that Ghana must not become a passive consumer of foreign AI technologies but must rethink its approach to education:
- AI as a ladder, not a shortcut: Students should use AI to ask better questions, compare ideas, and improve understanding, not to replace learning.
- AI Literacy in the curriculum: Universities must teach responsible and ethical use of AI, its strengths, biases and limitations, alongside traditional research methods.
- Assessment reform: Lecturers should design assessments that test understanding, judgment and application – tasks that cannot be easily completed by AI.
Dr. John Krugu further called on universities, parents, and policymakers to engage in open discussions about regulating AI use on campuses. He emphasised the importance of encouraging students to develop local innovations rather than relying heavily on imported tools. “Intelligence is becoming abundant. Technology is becoming accessible. But judgment, originality, courage, and responsibility remain scarce. If we don’t deliberately train students to think, we will graduate people who have never learned how to learn,” he cautioned.
His warning comes at a time when universities in Ghana and around the world are struggling to strike a balance between harnessing the benefits of AI in education and safeguarding academic integrity as well as graduate employability.
