Latest news with #4IR
IOL News
a day ago
- Business
- IOL News
South Africa is not ready for the coming white-collar AI bloodbath
South Africa is not ready for the coming white-collar AI bloodbath, says the author. Image: AI LAB A major disruption is unfolding in global white-collar employment. According to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs could vanish in the next five years due to advances in artificial intelligence. As detailed in Axios' article 'Behind the Curtain: A White-Collar Bloodbath', this isn't science fiction; it's a forecast from one of the leading minds in the AI field. South Africa, already battling youth unemployment and graduate underemployment, is ill-prepared for this transformation. According to StatsSA, South Africa's youth unemployment rate stood at 45.5% in quarter one 2024, and even university graduates struggle to find meaningful, skills-aligned work. Our economy continues to rely heavily on labour-intensive sectors like mining and retail while offering limited pathways into knowledge work. Now, with AI rapidly mastering entry-level professional tasks, such as document drafting, basic analysis, and customer interaction, the last buffer between graduates and long-term exclusion may collapse. This shift is not about robots in factories; it is about machines replacing tasks traditionally assigned to junior professionals. Legal clerks, marketing interns, junior auditors, and admin graduates' roles, meant to build workplace experience, are increasingly handled by AI systems that are faster, cheaper, and tireless. Employers may not downsize immediately, but they are already freezing hiring or redesigning roles to be 'AI-first.' Without access to these stepping-stone roles, South Africa's already marginalised youth may find themselves locked out of the formal economy altogether. The government, academia, and business sectors are largely unresponsive to this looming crisis. Government conversations remain stuck in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) rhetoric, disconnected from the speed and nature of current technological shifts. We are no longer preparing for change; we are reacting too late to one that is already here. To date, responses have been piecemeal. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has produced documents like the National Data and Cloud Policy and launched an AI Institute with the CSIR and UJ. However, these efforts lack a coordinated AI-readiness strategy that connects automation with job protection, ethical deployment, and skills development. The 2020 Presidential Commission on the 4IR laid out strong recommendations, but implementation has stalled. Meanwhile, digital upskilling initiatives funded through the National Skills Fund or SETAs focus mostly on basic IT literacy and coding, not AI fluency or workplace adaptation. Universities and TVET colleges continue to produce graduates for roles vulnerable to automation. While some institutions offer data science or entrepreneurship programmes, the majority of curricula remain outdated. Employers, for their part, are adopting AI in operations, particularly in banking, consulting, and customer service, but without public commitments to ethical deployment, job transition planning, or internship preservation. Public discourse is also behind. Civil society and researchers have begun tackling data ethics and algorithmic bias, but little attention is paid to AI's role in reshaping the graduate labour market. As a result, policy and pedagogy remain misaligned with the rapid automation of professional tasks. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ South Africa urgently needs a coordinated national strategy for AI integration and labour resilience. This strategy must include: Regulation of AI deployment in sectors like finance, education, and HR. An AI usage tax or levy to fund reskilling, digital public employment schemes, or universal basic income pilots. Labour market forecasting that tracks which roles are most vulnerable and identifies growth sectors suited to human skills. The education sector must act now. From basic education through to postgraduate study, curricula must equip students with data literacy, AI ethics, systems thinking, and interdisciplinary problem-solving. All disciplines, not just STEM, must be AI-aware. Pedagogies must evolve from rote learning to adaptive, applied learning. Employers must also take responsibility. Ethical AI adoption should include commitments to preserving pathways for young professionals, supporting employee reskilling, and maintaining entry-level learning opportunities. Without these, automation will deepen inequality and economic exclusion. We must also be bolder in where we look for future jobs. Care work, social entrepreneurship, the digital creative economy, rural innovation, and climate adaptation all require skills that AI cannot easily replicate, such as human judgement, emotional nuance, and cultural intelligence. If supported with funding and training, these sectors could provide both dignity and economic inclusion. While structural change is vital, individuals, especially tertiary students, must act proactively. First, they must become AI literate, understanding how platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and are transforming work. Many free or low-cost online courses are available. Second, students must strengthen human-centred skills such as ethical reasoning, creativity, communication, and teamwork, areas where machines still struggle. They should build real-world experience through volunteering, student leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Third, graduates must build adaptable portfolios, showcasing skills through blogs, digital artefacts, or small projects. A certificate alone will no longer open doors. Finally, students should demand more from their institutions, AI-informed teaching, curriculum updates, and exposure to emerging tools and thinking. This moment demands courage and clarity. AI is not on the horizon; it is in the room. Without urgent, collaborative action across government, higher education, and business, South Africa risks cementing a two-tier society: those who build and manage the machines, and those left behind. If we act wisely, we can still shape a future where human talent and machine capability work together to create inclusive, ethical prosperity. Dr Zamandlovu Sizile Makola is a senior lecturer in the College of Economic and Management Sciences (CEMS) at Unisa. *** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL. BUSINESS REPORT
Mail & Guardian
21-07-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Reimagining employment in the age of the fourth industrial revolution
Labour laws fall short in the fourth industrial revolution. Graphic: John McCann/M&G The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has become a byword for transformation. As entire industries and social norms shift beneath our feet because of artificial intelligence (AI), so too does the very concept of employment. Less than a decade ago, employment structures were largely rigid, characterised by fixed hours, physical workplaces, and clearly defined responsibilities. The Covid-19 pandemic catalysed a dramatic break from this paradigm. In 2020, the world was forced into a remote-first mode, revealing the limitations of traditional employment models. This transformation, as To grapple with the legal implications of this shift, we must first understand how the scope of employment — that is, the range of activities an employee is expected to perform — has evolved. Remote work, hybrid arrangements, platform-based jobs and the gig economy are no longer anomalies; they are becoming the norm. Flexibility and autonomy, once considered perks, are now central pillars of modern work culture. As For example, remote work has rendered the concept of a fixed workplace nearly obsolete. Work now occurs in homes, co-working spaces or even across countries, raising questions about jurisdiction, supervision and employer responsibility. Gig and platform-based work presents further complexities. Determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor often hinges on vague factors such as control, economic dependence or integration into the business. The rise of AI and automation compounds this further, redefining job descriptions and introducing new tasks that may fall outside traditional employee duties. Additionally, the use of personal devices and remote networks introduces heightened concerns around data security and privacy issues that conventional employment law is not fully equipped to handle. These changes have legal implications, particularly concerning the 'course and scope' of employment, which is a central doctrine to determining employer liability for acts committed by employees. Historically, courts have interpreted this concept through the lens of employer control and the direct furtherance of the employer's business. If employees were deemed to be acting within the scope of their duties, the employer could be held vicariously liable for their actions. But when an employee was engaged in what courts have termed a 'frolic of their own' or personal pursuits unrelated to their job, the employer would not bear responsibility. An important consideration is that the abandonment-mismanagement rule holds that an employer may still be vicariously liable if an employee, while participating in a personal frolic, partially performs their work duties, thus effectively committing a simultaneous act and omission. These distinctions, already intricate, are increasingly difficult to apply in the modern world. There are a number of essential questions to be considered. For example, how should courts assess the scope of employment when work is asynchronous, occurring across time zones and digital platforms? What happens when employees alternate between professional and personal tasks at the same time while working from home? How should algorithmic supervision and AI tools factor into evaluations of employer control? These questions underscore the need for a more dynamic and context-sensitive framework for interpreting the scope of employment — one that reflects the fluidity of modern work rather than clinging to the static definitions of the past. Equally urgent is the question of who qualifies as an employee. Traditional labour laws were designed with clear, stable employment relationships in mind. But in the gig economy, where many workers straddle the line between contractor and employee, these laws often fall short. If left unaddressed, this legal ambiguity could allow employers to shirk responsibilities around fair compensation, social protection, and worker benefits, undermining the principles of fairness and dignity that labour law seeks to uphold. Balancing flexibility — a key value for many modern workers — with the employer's need for accountability, productivity, and oversight is no small feat. It requires a recalibration of the legal system. As Mpedi aptly observes: 'Historically, the law has been a largely reactive tool. But, in the age of AI, it cannot remain so.' The legal system must become anticipatory, not merely responsive. It must evolve in tandem with the digital transformation it seeks to regulate. This means revisiting — and in many cases, redefining — fundamental legal concepts such as 'employee', 'employer', 'work', 'workplace' and 'scope of employment'. Policymakers must also ensure that the rights and protections afforded to traditional employees extend to gig and platform workers, who increasingly constitute a significant portion of the labour force. Just as nature adapts to survive, so must the law. As we conclude in our book on AI and the Law : 'A meaningful subject in our conversations is the necessity for a flexible legal framework capable of adjusting to the rapid progress of AI advancement. Conventional legal ideas and laws created for a world centred on humans frequently prove inadequate when applied to AI.' If we are to meet the challenges — and seize the opportunities — of the fourth industrial revolution, we must embrace a Darwinian mindset: adapt or risk obsolescence. The future of employment is already here. The law must now catch up. Letlhokwa George Mpedi is the vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Johannesburg. Tshilidzi Marwala is the rector of the United Nations University and UN under-secretary-general. The authors' latest book on this subject is Artificial Intelligence and the Law (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Industry 4.0 should be adopted in CPSEs for global competitiveness: Govt
New Delhi: Industry 4.0 is being considered for future incorporation into the Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) MoU assessment framework, and that early adoption will be key to enhancing global competitiveness, the government has said. In a strategic step towards fostering innovation and smart manufacturing , the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance, organised a workshop on Industry 4.0 here, which brought together experts, policymakers, and leadership of CPSEs to discuss strategies for adoption and scaling up of Industry 4.0 technologies across sectors like Energy, Power, Construction, Infrastructure, Telecom and Services. K. Moses Chalai, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, emphasised the importance of embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as a national mission. In his address, Chalai underscored the need for a "Whole-of-CPSEs" (WoC) approach - on the lines of the "Whole-of-Government" framework - urging all CPSEs to collaborate in integrating 4IR enablers such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Twins , 3D Printing, and 5G-enabled smart infrastructure into their operations. As part of expert presentations at the workshop, A. Anand, a deployment expert, shared rich experience in applications and field deployment of Digital Designing, Reverse Engineering, and 3D Printing across industry verticals, drawing from India's first 5G Labs and 3D Printing Centres of Excellence. Dr. Prabhjot Singh Sugga, Associate Professor at SPA, highlighted the transformative potential of Digital Twin platforms in infrastructure, plant management, and disaster resilience and Vidushi Chaturvedi, an AI expert, spoke on leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for predictive analytics, resource optimisation, and intelligent decision-making. The DPE reiterated its commitment to support CPSEs in leveraging Industry 4.0 for operational excellence and sustainable development. The workshop marks a significant step toward realising this vision through collective efforts and strategic implementation across the CPSE ecosystem, according to the government.
Mint
19-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Finance Ministry organises workshop on industry 4.0 adoption, digital transformation in CPSEs
New Delhi [India], July 19 (ANI): In a strategic step towards fostering innovation and smart manufacturing, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance, organised a Workshop on Industry 4.0 in New Delhi. The workshop, organised on Friday, aimed to discuss strategies for the adoption and scaling up of Industry 4.0 technologies across various sectors, including Energy, Power, Construction, Infrastructure, Telecom, and day-long workshop brought together experts, policymakers, and leadership of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), a release by the Finance Ministry stated. The workshop was inaugurated by K Moses Chalai, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, who briefly touched upon General Purpose Technologies (GPT) and emphasised the importance of embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as a national mission. In his address, he underscored the need for a "Whole-of-CPSEs" (WoC) approach -- on the lines of the "Whole-of-Government" framework -- urging all CPSEs to collaborate in integrating 4IR enablers such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Twins, 3D Printing, and 5G-enabled smart infrastructure into their operations. He noted that Industry 4.0 is also being considered for future incorporation into the CPSE MoU assessment framework, and that early adoption will be key to enhancing global competitiveness. As part of expert presentations at the workshop, A Anand, deployment expert shared rich experience in applications and field deployment of Digital Designing, Reverse Engineering, and 3D Printing across industry verticals, drawing from India's first 5G Labs and 3D Printing Centres of Excellence; Dr Prabhjot Singh Sugga, Associate Professor at SPA, highlighted the transformative potential of Digital Twin platforms in infrastructure, plant management, and disaster resilience; and Ms. Vidushi Chaturvedi, an AI expert, spoke on leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for predictive analytics, resource optimisation, and intelligent decision-making. Experience-sharing sessions by CPSEs such as Powergrid, HSCC, and BSNL showcased successful pilots in AI-driven maintenance, digital simulation, and 3D printing-enabled supply chains. The workshop saw active participation from CMDs and Directors of leading CPSEs -- including NTPC, NHPC, GAIL, CONCOR, IRCTC, RITES, AAI, and WAPCOS -- who engaged in interactive discussions on strategic roadmaps, capacity building, and sector-specific adoption of Industry 4.0. The deliberations reaffirmed the relevance of 4IR technologies across key sectors like Oil & Gas, Railways, Mining, Health, Handlooms, and Infrastructure, as outlined in the DPE Concept Paper and Adoption Potential Matrix shared during the DPE reiterated its commitment to support CPSEs in leveraging Industry 4.0 for operational excellence and sustainable development. The workshop marks a significant step toward realising this vision through collective efforts and strategic implementation across the CPSE ecosystem. This round of workshops will be organised in different regions of the country with CPSEs located in these regions. It is expected to be completed within August 2025. (ANI)
Channel Post MEA
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Channel Post MEA
NTT DATA Names Vinesh Maharaj As Director Of Smart Manufacturing & Industry For MEA
NTT DATA has announced the appointment of Vinesh Maharaj, as the Director of Smart Manufacturing & Industry for the Middle East Africa Region. This appointment marks NTT DATA's continued commitment to doubling down in key verticals, with Manufacturing being the third, following the successful launch of its Retail and FSI practice in 2024. Vinesh brings 30 years of experience in industrial automation, IT/OT integration, Manufacturing Execution Systems, and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and Predictive AI technologies. A professionally registered engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and a Certified Director with the Institute of Directors of South Africa (IoDSA), he has held a variety of leadership roles and extensive experience across the energy, automotive, consumer goods, and industrial manufacturing sectors. Most recently, he served as a Management Consultant at a Big 4 firm. He also serves on the Exco and advises the Board of Directors of the Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Computer Engineering (SAIMC). Alan Turnley-Jones, CEO of NTT DATA Middle East and Africa, said: 'This appointment underscores our commitment to strengthening leadership in high-potential growth markets, while I continue to drive our broader strategic expansion across the MEA region.' Manufacturing represents one of the most promising frontiers for digital transformation. Globally, the industry is valued at more than $16 trillion and plays a critical role in driving GDP. In South Africa, manufacturing contributes around 13% to GDP, led by sub-sectors such as automotive, food and beverages, and machinery. Across the African continent, the sector currently makes up roughly 10% of GDP, but this figure is expected to rise as localisation strategies, industrial policy reforms, and digital investment begin to take hold. However, many manufacturing organisations face persistent challenges in their digital transformation journeys. From legacy infrastructure and fragmented systems to evolving cybersecurity risks and talent shortages, the path to Industry 4.0 is complex and often constrained by siloed decision-making. At the same time, the opportunity for transformation is immense. Manufacturers now have the tools to unlock greater operational efficiency through automation and predictive AI, build more resilient and connected supply chains, and integrate IT and OT environments to enable real-time, data-driven decision-making. Sustainability is also rising up the agenda, as companies look to embed environmentally responsible practices into their operations through smart, data-led insights. With Maharaj's leadership and NTT DATA's proven global capabilities, the company is well positioned to help manufacturers navigate these challenges, accelerate their digital maturity, and strengthen their competitiveness on the world stage.
