Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos are not new. From viral TikTok clips to sophisticated digital productions, AI-generated content has become increasingly common across social media platforms.
But what happens when national professional bodies end up utilising AI for their video campaigns?
This has triggered a fierce debate in Ghana’s film sector following a controversial promotional video released by the National Film Authority (NFA).
Unveiled on October 27, 2026, as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign, the promotional video featured the voice talents of prominent Ghanaian actors including Kafui Danku, Adjetey Anang, Fella Makafui, and Gloria Safo, among others.
However, the visual components were generated entirely using AI, rather than using the real prowess of the actors in the project.
The digital release immediately drew intense backlash from industry stakeholders, digital critics, and local creatives who questioned why a national state body would bypass human production crews in favour of AI.
NFA under blast
For many Ghanaians, industry players and consumers alike, the decision by a leading institution like the NFA to use AI for a simple video felt like a betrayal of the local creative workforce.
For them, the question was simple.
“Why use an AI video when you have thousands of creatives out here?” a social media user said in a fiery post.
The major defence some supporters used was that the NFA probably did not have operational funding to hire a human crew.
However, that was quickly shut down. Industry watchers noted that the Film Development Fund alone holds a GH¢20 million seed allocation intended to support and revive Ghana’s film industry.
This was earlier confirmed by the Deputy Executive Secretary, James Gardiner, in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM.
Critics noted that even if that could not be used, the Authority also has an operational budget, although it is unknown if the body actually has a big enough budget for a creative crew.
Kafui Danku fires back – ‘AI is another creative tool’
In the wake of the public outcry, NFA CEO Kafui Danku issued a defense of the project.
Danku argued that resistance to technology stems largely from anxiety over job displacement, but insisted that AI should be viewed as a production tool rather than an industry replacement.
“If a Ghanaian writer develops the story, a Ghanaian producer brings it to life, Ghanaian actors provide the voices or performances, Ghanaian musicians create the soundtrack, and Ghanaian directors, editors, designers and artists shape the final product, then AI has not necessarily removed Ghanaian creativity,” Danku stated.
She also noted that high production costs, ranging from location rentals and equipment to logistics and large crews, frequently kill compelling stories before they ever reach production.
According to her, resisting innovation carries a far greater risk than embracing it.
“The bigger danger isn’t Ghanaian filmmakers using AI. The bigger danger is the rest of the world mastering these tools while we refuse to engage with them. And then, years from now, we find ourselves consuming AI-generated foreign content because we failed to develop our own capacity,” she noted.
Is there a balance?
The controversy surrounding the NFA’s breast cancer campaign encapsulates a broader, global existential crisis within the creative arts.
While technological shifts, from digital cameras to editing software to streaming platforms, have historically disrupted traditional roles, they have also forced industries to adapt.
But the question remains for Ghana. How can Ghana’s film community harness modern innovations for cost efficiency without sacrificing the livelihoods of thousands of human creatives, cinematographers, and production staff who continue to face severe underemployment?
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GhanaWeb feature by Isaac Dadzie
