Businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay face a digital ultimatum — adapt to technology or risk no longer existing in the marketplace.
This was the stark warning by Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber chief executive Denise van Huyssteen.
She was speaking at Eduvos Nelson Mandela Bay’s first TechTalk on Wednesday.
“If we do not embrace AI, manufacturing will be left behind.
“If you are not efficient in terms of technology, then you are no longer going to exist in the market.”
The discussion, which brought together industry experts, high school pupils and students from various faculties at Eduvos, focused on the impact of data science and technology on business in the Bay.
Van Huyssteen said the industry still relied on people who were capable of critical thinking, situational awareness and other contexts relevant for a business to operate.
“AI can be used for upskilling. This still requires us to read a lot more, as there is a need to understand the issues at hand.
“We need to embrace technology and educate ourselves,” she said.
In terms of research & development for the manufacturing industry, she said that while countries such as China had adapted AI in new and innovative ways, SA was still trailing behind in fostering a greater understanding of technology in the fourth industrial revolution.
“AI has radically changed the ways businesses operate with enormous action and speed,” she said.
Gqeberha-based Jendamark Automation’s customer success manager, Garreth Holmes, said while there were fears that AI would replace people in the workplace, it also had the potential to improve human performance.
Holmes said this perspective could be used to help speed up training for employees, thus limiting the time spent on running training initiatives and instead teaching people “on the fly”.
“AI is not there to replace humans, it’s there to augment humans,” he said.
While AI was still in its infancy, he said it was still unable to replicate human connection, understanding, and interpretation, skills that were still needed in all industries.
“AI will tell you what it believes you want to hear, and that is why soft skills are still important.”
The Herald
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