The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi’s Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, has participated in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Member States Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, where global leaders examined the future direction of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Prof. Kponyo, who lectures in the Department of Telecommunication Engineering, attended the meeting in his capacity as a member of the ITU’s Academic Advisory Body on Emerging Technologies, where he serves as AI Thematic Group Lead.

The meeting brings together representatives of UN Member States, regulators, industry leaders and academics to shape strategic decisions in an era of rapid technological change.

As AI Thematic Team Lead, Professor Kponyo has been tasked with discussions on the evolving trajectory of artificial intelligence, including developments toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI).

The team will explore the growing energy demands of AI systems, focusing on how artificial intelligence can be designed to be green and sustainable.

Discussions emphasised the need for greater computational efficiency achieving more impact with less energy amid rising global concerns about energy demand and digital sustainability.

They will again examine alternative computational paradigms capable of supporting future AI development while significantly reducing environmental impact.

In a tweet, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU, said decisions taken at the Plenipotentiary Conference would shape how effectively the Union responds to unprecedented technological change.

“Decisions taken at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference will determine how effectively our Union serves in an era of unprecedented tech change and growing demands,” she said, stressing the importance of coordinated global action.

She highlighted the role of the ITU’s Academic Advisory Body in strengthening thought leadership within the organisation.

“What better way to strengthen thought leadership in a rapidly evolving technological landscape than by convening leading academic thinkers,” she said. “Our Academic Advisory Body on Emerging Technologies offers long-term thinking on where technology may be heading and how it might shape humanity.”