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AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023.
According to the captains of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry, Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be embraced. AI was a hot topic at the 18th ICT summit held in East London.
The summit explored ways to use technology to advance business and development, and ways to combat cybercrime.
The automotive sector is one of the economic pillars of the Eastern Cape, but the shift to AI appears to be threatening jobs in that sector.
Companies are relying on machines to drive production. This while humans are encouraged to be at the forefront of driving innovation.
Digital marketer and panelist at the ICT Summit, Jackson Tshabalala says, “AI is going to be a tool with human ingenuity when it comes to solving the leading problems in the world; unemployment, skills development … if you look at cyber crime, people need to make sure they are digital citizens, they are responsible online, they make sure they have safety security education.”
ICT teacher, Kelly Bush says investing in education, focusing on AI and bringing data costs down are key for success of this sector.
“Something that deepens the digital divide is that our learners in different communities are able to use AI, but they don’t have access to data and internet. We need companies to invest in that, so that we can level up the digital divide between different communities and empower learners,” says Bush.
The government says innovation can be used to improve service delivery and change the lives of citizens.
Deputy Director General for Communications and Digital Technologies, Mlindi Mashologu says, “So, by developing policy framework, we make sure that AI can be adopted responsibly and the development can be done without bias and the issues of ethics can be addressed, but also we want to make sure that AI can be a catalyst for economic growth of the country.”
The industry also wants a collaborative effort between itself, government and the educational sector to foster skills development in the ICT space, especially for young people.
