Tag: 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR)

What do we have to go on besides sci-fi fiction story I, Robot’s 'The Three Laws of Robotics'? In many industries in South Africa, there has been a massive drive towards incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning into business and products to streamline operations, analyse user behaviour and determine or predict potential purchasing behaviour.

An interview with Jessica Knight, Strategic Manager, CURA Software Solutions, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing that as a society, we are on the precipice of The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and we are only just beginning to understand the radical effects it will have on the way we communicate, live and work.

In celebrating the Youth Month, we are reminded that the uprising that began in Soweto more than 40 years ago was all about education, and how it profoundly changed the socio-political landscape of the country.

We have been acclimatised to the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) and heard the hype about the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Now prepare for the next stage – when advanced AI meets 4IR to enable the always smart, always learning, ubiquitous computing of the future.

The digital workplace is one where people, processes, technology, and the company converge to improve business productivity and employee engagement. It's a workplace where employees have the technological tools they need to complete business tasks effortlessly and efficiently.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is here. It is evident in the way banks have started offering their digital services and disrupting the modus operandi of traditional banks; it is evident in schools, where books are being replaced with tablets and it will roll-out in almost every sector in the country.

Despite education taking up the lion’s share of national budgetary spending in South Africa, it is disheartening to still see stories about broken pit toilets, leaking roofs and unqualified teachers. Some stories lament how schools which were built in 1994 still have three pit toilets and only one tap, with parents and teachers making improvements using their own funds.

Despite its pivotal role in the 4th Industrial Revolution, the connectivity sphere is no different from any other business sector when it comes to profitability challenges. In the fast-moving and hyper-competitive economic environment of today, even the biggest players in ICT are under threat.

As exponential, digital-driven technologies transform the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) from a buzzword into reality, the financial services sector - and insurance in particular - face massive disruption, it starts with a radical reimagining of the very model insurance has been built on since its origins in the 14th Century, and Africa is no exception.

Africa is a large continent, and investors tend to pick and choose their markets based on a multitude of criteria. Some see opportunities in emerging arenas while others focus on more developed and mature opportunities.