Artificial intelligence has been grabbing the headlines since the introduction of the content-generating app ChatGPT in November 2022. Until the launch of Threads in July 2023, ChatGPT held the record for the shortest time for a new app to reach 100 million users, indicating the demand for AI tools.

At the same time, there is a great deal of misunderstanding – and even fear – around AI and what it means for the future of businesses and for people’s jobs. We spoke to AI expert Mark Furman of 1064 Degrees to learn more about how AI can empower businesses.

He began by giving us a definition of AI that cuts through a lot of the misconceptions surrounding this technology – namely, that AI refers to the ability of machines and computers to do many of the things that the human brain can do. In other words, it’s the simulation of human intelligence by machines that have been programmed to think and learn just like people.

Furman explained that this involved giving machines the ability to understand, see, hear, speak and move in much the same way that humans do. This offers huge advantages in terms of liberating people from monotonous or tedious tasks; doing calculations and actions at a scale that far surpasses anything people can achieve.

A new level of understanding

AI-enabled machines excel at understanding masses of data, recognising hidden patterns and identifying anomalies. Their predictive analysis capabilities improve over time as they continuously learn. Unlike their human counterparts, machines don’t get tired and make mistakes, and can work 24/7 without the need for breaks, supervision or rewards.

Image recognition and natural language processing and generation functions are enabling machines to mimic humans and engage more naturally with us. Meanwhile, smart robots are taking on much of the heavy lifting and precision work in manufacturing contexts.

It’s clear that these abilities will enable machines to take on many tasks currently entrusted to humans – especially those tasks that are potentially dangerous, highly repetitive or otherwise non-stimulating.

The fourth Industrial Revolution

Experts and industry leaders agree that the 4IR, which has already begun, will far exceed the significance of any period of change that has come before. The convergence of human and digital intelligence will have a profound impact on the way that businesses operate, and on the way we live our lives. These impacts are already being felt and will only increase in scope and speed. It has been predicted that the impact of AI will exceed even that of electricity or fire in terms of human development and progress.

Danger and opportunity

The Chinese word for ‘crisis’ combines the characters for “danger” and “opportunity”, and AI is the perfect example of this duality. According to Jeff Bezos of Amazon, AI will create a lot more value than it will destroy, but there will be associated short-term challenges. His comments are just one of many warnings about the possible negative consequences of widespread AI adoption.

It seems clear that AI will result in job losses – especially in sectors like data entry, administration, customer service, coding, finance and accounting. AI will also likely impact creative industries, as machines learn how to create compelling content of all kinds (full disclosure, this article was written by a human).

Empowerment like never before

The good news – and there is a lot of it – is that AI is not designed to replace humans, but rather to augment our unique capabilities. AI will liberate people from tedious, non-rewarding tasks and give them opportunities to unlock their full creative potential. However, this will only be the case where companies and people are prepared to embrace AI and invest in upskilling and reskilling.

AI’s inherent ability to continuously improve gives machines unprecedented agility and adaptability. Humans will be required to act in the same way if they are to adopt AI, taking full advantage of the savings it offers in terms of cost and time. Those companies that adapt will thrive; those that do not will likely go the way of the quagga.

Expertise will always count

The combination of expertise and AI tools will enable humans to create in unprecedented ways. In addition, these tools will enable exactly the kind of reskilling that is needed to ensure that humans remain relevant in this brave new world.

In the same way that IQ and EQ have always been important, knowledge of how best to use AI will become a key employability factor. Furman’s advice is that we all need to accept AI – it’s a reality, and it isn’t going away – and grow with it. Using AI in combination with human intelligence offers a compelling future in which we can all use these tools to be much better at what we already do – and acquire many other skills at the same time. It’s in this fusion of primate and processor that the true value of AI lies.

Business empowerment

AI has clear applications across almost all business sectors, including retail, logistics, customer service, software development, finance, education, healthcare and human resources. AI offers the potential to personalise customer experiences, optimise business processes, predict trends, detect anomalies, automate routine tasks and much more.

Companies that learn to leverage AI will benefit from valuable, actionable insights and increased efficiency. AI-empowered businesses will make smarter decisions, innovate freely and grow at speed. In short, artificial intelligence offers very real results to those with the wherewithal to “ride the tiger” and emerge into the bright new dawn that AI promises.

Learn more

If you weren’t able to attend the Kemtek Indaba earlier this year and see Mark Furman’s presentation, you can view it here.

About Kemtek
Kemtek is celebrating 35 years of successful evolution thanks to an ongoing drive to deliver the best possible outcomes to our customers. The company has grown from being an equipment supplier into a trusted solutions partner. Working with global partners, including world-class, innovative OEMs, Kemtek has pivoted its business to focus on seven key areas: auto ID technology, labelling solutions, digital print technology, large-format printing technology, additive manufacturing technology, 3D printing technology and renewable resources technology.

Kemtek is deeply committed to achieving ambitious transformation targets through providing an inclusive environment for all team members. The company continually strives to improve its B-BBEE contributor level – and on an individual level provides ongoing upskilling and educational opportunities for all Kemtek employees.

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