Artificial Intelligence short course in South Africa

What exactly is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

While the term Artificial Intelligence or AI has, in the past, usually been associated more with the realms of science fiction, this is no longer the case in the wake of the new era of the 4th Industrial Revolution.  Before we get into a discussion about the 4th Industrial Revolution as a whole, let us first examine exactly what is meant by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Artificial Intelligence (AI), which, on occasions, is also referred to as machine intelligence is the form of intelligence exhibited by machines and differs from the natural intelligence displayed by animals and humans.   The term Artificial Intelligence is also frequently used to describe machines or computers capable of mimicking the so-called cognitive functions that humans correlate with what the human mind can do such as creative problem solving and critical thinking and learning.

For research and study purposes the field of Artificial Intelligence draws from many disciplines that include but are not limited to information engineering, computer science, psychology, mathematics, philosophy and linguistics.

First founded as an academic discipline in 1955, the field of Artificial Intelligence rested on the assumption that human intelligence can be precisely described to the point that a machine can be designed to simulate it.  However, philosophical debates arise where it concerns the mind and the question of whether it is ethical to create artificial beings designed with human-like intelligence capabilities.  Such issues have been scrutinised by philosophy, myth and science fiction alike since time immemorial and certain individuals even consider AI to be potentially dangerous to humanity if given the opportunity to progress without taking all factors into consideration.  While others also hold that Artificial Intelligence will pose a very real threat as a risk to creating mass unemployment.

AI techniques have therefore resurged in the wake of advanced computer technologies involving massive amounts of data.  Hence, AI techniques form an integral part of the evolution of technology and help to solve pressing problems in software engineering, operations research and computer science.

How is Artificial Intelligence being used in South Africa?

Recent research highlights the fact that pilot processes and numerous forms of experimentation with AI are already underway in South Africa.   Many South African businesses are increasingly showing more of a willingness to embrace AI technologies and are trying out new ways to explore and experiment with new AI technologies.

It is encouraging to note that around 46%, that is nearly half of South African companies, are already in the process of piloting AI technologies within their organisations.  Many businesses are experimenting with the likes of technologies that include:

  • Roboting Process Automation
  • Chatbots
  • Advanced Analytics

Machine Learning

It is also interesting to note that trends reveal that around 67% or roughly two thirds of South African businesses currently highlight machine learning as the most useful form of AI technology closely flanked by biometrics and robotics.

On the same trajectory, certain AI experts also pinpoint that it is not a mere lack of technical skills that inhibits the progress of the development of AI technologies, but, rather there is a greater need to establish a culture of experimentation in this field.  Lillian Barnard, MD of Microsoft South Africa believes that since AI is still in the infant stage of development in South Africa what is important is that South African businesses currently show a willingness to keep experimenting with new ways of using Artificial Intelligence capabilities.

South Africa invests in Artificial Intelligence (AI)

South Africa has made significant strides to invest in Artificial Intelligence technologies having invested US$ 1.6 billion over the past decade with the main portion of investment being channelled into social media and IoT followed by planning, optimisation and scheduling and smart mobile technologies.

Future expectations on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) horizon

It is estimated that approximately 96% of South African businesses anticipate significant financial benefits in the future by optimising their operations using AI technology solutions.

Those companies surveyed cite that AI solutions are most used in terms of automation at 83% and prediction at 70%.  Cases in point involve a wide variety of applications ranging from increasing productivity levels to predicting consumer conversion rates.

Even though South Africa currently has a high unemployment rate, the understanding of Artificial Intelligence is relatively low which, while the new technologies may be exciting, their existence inevitably translates into a fear of job loss among a large percentage of South Africans.

In 2019, South Africa narrowly avoided the biggest banking strike in the country’s history when increased automation in the banking sector resulted in numerous job cuts.

In the light of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies and the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence we are here concerned not so much with the phenomenon in itself, but rather as to how we position ourselves to deal with it in the next few years.

Recent reports reveal that as early as 2021 or in light of recent events around COVID-19, these technologies are even more prolific with the advent of more people engaging in remote working and using technology to enforce the ‘new normal’ in a post Coronavirus world.  The following scenario is increasingly evident:

  • It is predicted that Artificial Intelligence assistants will handle a whopping 85% of all customer service queries.
  • More than 50% of businesses will invest more funds in developing bots and chatbots as opposed to traditional mobile applications.
  • 75% of customer credit engagements are managed via self-service portals and an Electronic Virtual Assistant deals with 80% of enquiries at only 10% of the cost of employing human agents.
  • In Africa, since leading industries are mostly labour-intensive, the risk of automation will leave hundreds of thousands of people without jobs. South Africa alone notes approximately 500 000 jobs in the mining industry that are prone to switching to a high level of automation.  And in white collar industries administrative workers are also at risk with the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence robotic automation processes.

Changes to the South African business landscape brought about by the advent of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies

Looking ahead, there is much to anticipate in terms of how 4th Industrial Revolution technologies will impact the South African business landscape.

Customers

Customers are at the heart of the economy and 4th Industrial Revolution technologies are driving how best to improve customer service delivery.

Products

Digital enhancements to products and services will increase their value and this combined with other innovations will also arise, resulting in more durable products.  Data and analytics will also alter how maintenance is handled.

Innovation

Similar to open source technologies, connectivity and innovation both enable and necessitate collaboration and partnership.  Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, mobile computing and automation are no longer futuristic concepts but are now part of our everyday reality.  And even though union driven, labour intensive emerging markets like South Africa may be drawn towards taking the stance of resisting the proliferation of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies, increased globalisation and competition as well as increasing production efficiencies of the more established economies will give rise to slower economic growth, a reduction in foreign investment and increased unemployment rates.

There is a delicate balance that therefore needs to be maintained which juggles the forceful yet strategic adoption of new technologies while seeing to it that the current and future workforce is sufficiently prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing business landscape.

An experiment: Artificial Intelligence as human companion

There is another angle of approach that is interesting to note and that is that humans and machines work well as partners to each other’s capabilities as opposed to one being more superior than the other.

More than 4000 people participated in an experiment using an online game that involved groups of individuals being required to coordinate their activities in pursuit of a collective goal.  Human players interacted with anonymous bots that were programmed with three different levels of behavioural randomness, giving the bots the ability to sometimes deliberately make mistakes.  The bots were also placed in different parts of the game network.  It was found that not only did the inclusion of bots aid the performance of the human players but also proved to be invaluable when tasks increased in difficulty.  It was discovered that the inclusion of bots accelerated the median time for groups to solve problems by 55.6%.  Those individuals whose performance improved by working with the bots also influenced other human players to step up their performance.

Augmented Intelligence

Augmented intelligence, also known as intelligence augmentation (IA) or cognitive augmentation, proposes the idea that Artificial Intelligence is not a replacement of but rather a complement to human intelligence and is therefore about helping humans to become better, smarter and faster at performing tasks.  The idea here is to combine human and artificial intelligence to establish greater outcomes.  Like humans, Artificial Intelligence is also not perfect and is subject to errors or unintended outcomes caused by, among other things, incorrect interpretations of outcomes, bad data or bad domain models.  The proposition hence revolves around the fact that while Artificial Intelligence is superior in many ways, in many of its applications human supervision is nevertheless necessary.

Train up on Artificial Intelligence for the 4th Industrial Revolution

So, how do we educate ourselves around the impact of the advent of Artificial Intelligence as companion along with all the other 4th Industrial Revolution technologies?  While technical skills training is tantamount to success in any career, staying abreast of technological trends and developments and how to leverage these to ensure business survival will not only enable us to move forward with greater confidence but also help us to anticipate what comes next.

Business Optimization Training Institute (BOTi) offers an extremely valuable short course on how to prepare for changes brought about by the advent of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies.  Click here to book your seat on this much needed short course packed with tremendous insights around what the world of work has in store for us all.   Keep reading for a brief introduction to this powerful short course.

Course Introduction

Prepare Yourself for the 4th Industrial Revolution. Don’t be left in the Dark Ages – Understand the impact and start making changes. Huge economic, societal and individual Impact. This is a powerful course that will move you forward with confidence.

The world of work is a rapidly changing environment as the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) takes hold of society.  A recent research paper by Deloitte has revealed that, overall, executives around the world are in the early stages of readying their organizations to harness the full potential of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The question is: how do we as individuals and companies prepare and ready ourselves for the 4IR which is arriving sooner than we think?

What does the 4th Industrial Revolution involve?

The 4th Industrial Revolution has a broad signature across many different fields with technology breakthroughs in numerous disciplines including:

  • Fully autonomous vehicles
  • Robotics
  • The Internet of Things
  • Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT)
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Fifth-generation wireless technologies (5G)
  • Additive manufacturing/3D printing

The 4th Industrial Revolution is different from the previous three eras in that instead of being marked by technological advances, it is concerned rather with advances in communication and connectivity.  Such technologies hold the potential to further connect billions more people to the web and significantly enhance business and organizational efficiencies as well as helping to regenerate the environment using improved asset management techniques.

Course Outline

Delegates will be issued with the book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution – by Klaus Schwab, which will be supplemented by notes that add in a South African perspective.

Areas covered in the course on the 4th Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0 or 4IR include:

  • Introduction to The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4th Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 or 4IR)
  • Events leading up to the 4th Industrial Revolution (historical context) and impact
  • Reasons for the 4IR: Megatrends, Digital, Physical, Biological, Point of no return
  • How the 4IR will impact: the economy, growth, type of work, business, collaboration and new ways of doing things
  • The international and South African effect of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Impact on governments, countries, regions and cities as well as security
  • How the 4th Industrial Revolution will shape society: Inequality and the Middle Class
  • The impact of the Revolutions on individuals
  • The impact of 4IR on universities, companies and organizations
  • Brainstorming a way forward.

Course Duration

2 days

Who should attend

This course is designed to bring managers and executives up to speed with the impact of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies on both the way we live and the way we work.

 

Please Contact Us Now - We Will Respond in 15 Minutes


    Accredited Courses

    Additional Courses

    Leadership & Management Courses

    Software & IT Courses

    Top Rated