TECHNOLOGY MUST BE A TOOL, NOT THE CAPTAIN – SAM JONAH ADVISES STUDENTS

Ghanaian statesman and businessman, Sir Sam Jonah, has urged students to embrace the opportunities technology brings while guarding against overdependence on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools.

Speaking at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, the mining executive highlighted how platforms such as Google, LinkedIn, and remote working systems have opened doors for the youth to participate in the global economy.

“You can work remotely from Accra and be paid in dollars or yen. This is extraordinary,” he observed.

However, Jonah stressed that while technology is transforming work and education, it must never take the place of human ingenuity.

“No algorithm, no machine, no AI can replace your own creativity, your own intelligence, your own grit,” he told the students.

He likened technology to “the wind in your sails but never the captain of your ship,” underscoring that human direction and originality remain at the core of innovation.

Turning to communication students at the event, Jonah emphasized the strategic importance of their discipline in leadership. He argued that communication is not a “side skill,” but rather a central force in connecting vision to reality.

“Communication is the bridge between vision and reality,” he said, noting that the ability to clearly convey ideas can make or break careers, institutions, and even nations.

The business leader drew on global corporate failures to illustrate his point, citing BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Boeing’s 737 MAX disasters as examples where poor communication worsened already dire crises.

“Miscommunication is not just a public relations problem. It can be catastrophic,” Jonah warned.

He encouraged students to cultivate creativity, resilience, and effective communication as indispensable tools in their future careers, reminding them that while technology can empower, only human innovation can truly lead.