By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/28/elon-musk-computers-will-surpass-us-in-every-single-way.html">Jordan Novet </a>



<a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=TSLA">Tesla</a> CEO <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/elon-musk/">Elon Musk</a> on Wednesday said that computers are getting smarter than humans in more and more spheres and that the trend will continue.



“We will be far, far surpassed in every single way. I guarantee it,” Musk said to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/jack-ma/" class="">Jack Ma</a>, chairman of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=BABA" class="">Alibaba</a>, at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.



The comments highlight an evolving landscape in technology, including in artificial intelligence — an area&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/17/what-is-artificial-intelligence.html" class="">technology companies are tapping</a>&nbsp;to enhance their products and sell to businesses.



Musk pointed to advances in chess and the Chinese board game of Go as evidence of progress in AI.



“Your cell phone could crush the world champion of chess, literally,” Musk told Ma.



company is seeking to draw on AI for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/17/elon-musk-brain-machine-startup-neuralink-plans-human-trials-in-2020.html" class="">augmenting people’s cognitive capabilities</a>&nbsp;with brain-machine interfaces. The company is not there yet, though.



“The first thing we should assume is we are very dumb,” Musk said. “We can definitely make things smarter than ourselves.”



Ma had a different view, suggesting that a computer has never spawned a human being, or even a mosquito.



“I’ve never in my life, especially [in the] last two years, when people talk about AI, human beings will be controlled by machines,” he said. “I never think about that. It’s impossible.”



And Ma said that he does not want to play chess or Go against a machine. These games were designed for people to play against each other, he said.



“I’ll be happy to see two computers fight each other,” Ma added.



The Tesla chief has spoken previously about AI. In 2017&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/04/elon-musk-says-global-race-for-ai-will-be-most-likely-cause-of-ww3.html" class="">he suggested</a>&nbsp;that competition among nations in AI could lead to World War III.



Tesla has sought to do more in AI. Musk revealed that Tesla was working on a custom AI chip&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/08/elon-musk-talks-up-teslas-upcoming-artificial-intelligence-hardware.html" class="">in 2017</a>, and last month he said the automaker would “most likely” start retrofitting older vehicles with its chips by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/8/20685873/tesla-fsd-chip-upgrade-2019-install-hw2-full-self-driving" class="">the end of 2019</a>.



In 2015 Musk co-founded <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/22/microsoft-invests-1-billion-in-elon-musks-openai.html">OpenAI</a> as an AI research nonprofit. He <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/21/elon-musk-is-leaving-the-board-of-openai.html">left the board</a> last year. He said in a tweet earlier this year that OpenAI and Tesla were at times both trying to hire the same people, and that he and OpenAI didn’t always see eye to eye.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Also, Tesla was competing for some of same people as OpenAI &amp; I didn’t agree with some of what OpenAI team wanted to do. Add that all up &amp; it was just better to part ways on good terms.&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1096989482094518273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



This article first appeared on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/28/elon-musk-computers-will-surpass-us-in-every-single-way.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/28/elon-musk-computers-will-surpass-us-in-every-single-way.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

Billionaire Elon Musk: Computers will surpass us ‘in every single way’

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Approximately 319 million people in
Sub-Saharan Africa live without access to hygienic water and out of these, 19
million people are in Kenya. To share how smart technologies can be leveraged
to unlock potential that exists in Kenya’s arid lands, which could play a big
role in the achievement of Kenya’s Big 4 Agenda on food security, Aisha
Walcott, Research Manager of Artificial Intelligence at IBM Research Africa
joins CNBC Africa for more.&nbsp;

Smart technologies and how it can address water scarcity in Sub-Saharan Africa

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/karen-gilchrist/">Karen Gilchrist</a>



<a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/search/?query=Artificial%20intelligence">Artificial intelligence</a> and <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/cloud-computing/">cloud computing</a> are terms once reserved for the realms of science fiction. But, today, they’ve become an increasingly important — and lucrative — fixture of the employment landscape.



“Some of the top skills we’re seeing that are in great demand are artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing,” Feon Ang, vice president for talent and learning solutions in Asia Pacific at professional networking site&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=LNKD" class="">LinkedIn</a>.



The demand applies globally. However, it especially pertains to the <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/19/linkedin-these-are-the-most-in-demand-skills-jobs-in-asia-pacific.html">most sought-after skills in Asia Pacific</a>, which is currently suffering a “brain drain,” whereby talented workers are relocating overseas for better socio-economic prospects, Ang told CNBC’s “Capital Connection” Tuesday.



Tech skills should not be viewed in isolation, though — especially given the changing nature of technology.



By some measures, the average skill now lasts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/20/creative-skills-critical-to-protect-workers-from-automation-expert.html" class="">just six years</a>, which means that workers should be well-equipped with the skills to adapt to the changing work environment.



Such so-called soft skills include <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/21/future-of-work-these-5-traits-pose-the-biggest-skills-gap-linkedin.html">critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving</a>, noted Ang.



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Increasingly, employers and governments are looking at ways to prepare their workforce for such shifts in the jobs landscape.



Amazon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/11/amazon-plans-to-spend-700-million-to-retrain-a-third-of-its-workforce-in-new-skills-wsj.html" class="">announced last month</a>&nbsp;that it plans to invest $700 million to retrain a third of its workforce. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/19/andrew-yang-on-google-amazon-helping-pay-for-his-ubi-plan.html" class="">rallying support for a universal basic income</a>&nbsp;to help Americans cope with volatile future work prospects.



Non-profit organizations, such as international training academy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.womenwhocode.com/" class="">Women Who Code</a>, are also cropping up to address growing skills gaps.



Women Who Code provides training and support from women pursuing careers in tech specifically. But the firm’s CEO, Alaina Percival, told CNBC Tuesday that more companies should be providing training, regardless of whether or not their employees’ work is directly technical.



“This really needs to be done more broadly and it needs to be starting at even younger ages,” said Percival. “Every industry is becoming a technology industry. There aren’t enough highly skilled workers to fill the current market needs.”



However, the responsibility for picking up new skills also falls to individuals, said Ang.



She said the growing availability of free training courses has made accessing education much simpler.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/learning/" class="">LinkedIn Learning</a>, for instance, hosts a wide range of video-based courses, she noted. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 free — or partially free — programs from&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/1437623/600-free-online-courses-you-can-take-from-universities-worldwide/" class="">a consortium of 800 universities are also available online</a>&nbsp;via a scheme called Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).



“It’s important for companies to continue to invest in their people so that they are upskilling and reskilling their people to keep up with the roles that are in demand,” said Ang.



“But, at the same time, people need to continue to invest in themselves and have a growth mind set,” she said.



This article first appeared on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/22/linkedin-ai-big-data-cloud-computing-among-top-future-tech-skills.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/22/linkedin-ai-big-data-cloud-computing-among-top-future-tech-skills.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

LinkedIn calls these 3 of the most sought-after tech skills

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-adams-790073">Rachel Adams</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/human-sciences-research-council-2144">Human Sciences Research Council</a>

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is, ostensibly, upon us. The <a href="https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab">term was coined</a> in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Form. 

Broadly, it refers to the collapsing of boundaries between the physical, digital and biological spheres. More specifically, it’s about the digitalisation of all kinds of systems and processes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of this reality. This involves systems that, as the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/definition-artificial-intelligence-main-capabilities-and-scientific-disciplines">European Commission puts it</a>, “display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions … to achieve specific goals”. 

AI is used today in everything from face and speech recognition technologies to image analysis software. It’s also a cornerstone of self-driving cars and advanced robotics.

Part of this “revolution’s” promise is that AI and similar technologies <a href="https://www.dst.gov.za/images/2019/White_paper_web_copyv1.pdf">will be used</a> to drive economic growth, development and positive societal change. But critical inquiry is urgently needed to gauge what effects the fourth industrial revolution is having and will have on vulnerable, marginalised populations.

In South Africa, there has been some discussion around the <a href="https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2019-07-04-4ir-in-sa-is-too-important-to-remain-the-domain-of-the-elite/">elitist discourse</a> in which conversations about the fourth industrial revolution are happening. Some have pointed out the need to ensure that policy linked to these changes address all stakeholders’ needs. Others have explored its potential effects <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-07-04-4ir-the-good-the-bad-and-the-inequality-gap/">on inequality in the country’s job market</a>. But there has been little discussion around how women specifically may be affected.

This is a worrying oversight. The world of the fourth industrial revolution looks set to be one dominated by forms of knowledge and industries – like science and technology – that have long been <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3281807">dominated by men</a>.

In addition, many of the opportunities the fourth industrial revolution is thought to offer are internet based. Yet, as a <a href="https://www.apc.org/en/news/african-women-face-widening-technology-gap">recent study</a> has shown, women tend to have less access to internet based technologies than men do in Africa. This means that the impact on women’s lives and work opportunities becomes a critical concern. 

<h2>The future of women’s work</h2>

The future of work has been one of the key discussion points in the context of new technologies and the fourth industrial revolution. 

With the increase in automaton, those working in <a href="https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf">“routine intensive occupations”</a> – such as secretarial or call centre work – are considered likely to be replaced in the workplace by computers, which are thought to be more efficient and less costly. Robots are being prepped to replace <a href="https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/applications-of-ai-in-elderly-care-robotics/">care-worker jobs</a>. These types of professions, along with others that are particularly vulnerable to being replaced by robotics or computers, are <a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/women_and_the_future_of_work#">generally occupied by women</a>.

In South Africa, where the <a href="http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11375">labour market is already more favourable to men than women</a>, this presents a serious concern. 

<hr>

 
 
 Read more:
 <a href="http://theconversation.com/south-africans-are-upbeat-about-new-technologies-but-worried-about-jobs-120358">South Africans are upbeat about new technologies, but worried about jobs</a>
 
 

<hr>


There are other reasons to worry. The gender <a href="https://www.apc.org/en/news/african-women-face-widening-technology-gap">digital gap</a> in South Africa, and on the African continent more broadly, is only widening, with women having lower digital literacy, less access to internet based technologies, and less relevant online content to men. This suggests that women may be left out of increasingly digital work opportunities too. 

In addition, due to the burden of care and domestic duties women tend to carry on top of paid work, women <a href="http://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/emotional-labor-around-the-world-an-interview-with-arlie-hochschild/">have significantly</a> less time than men to undertake further education and training. That means they won’t easily be able to boost their digital skills.

These realities reveal some of the gaps in South Africa’s existing policy objectives around the fourth industrial revolution. For instance, the country’s <a href="https://www.dst.gov.za/images/2019/White_paper_web_copyv1.pdf">White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation</a> is to provide information and communications technology training at all levels. But given the problems I’ve outlined, women are less likely than men to benefit from this.

So what can the country do differently?

<h2>Lessons and research</h2>

For starters, it could learn from other countries. In Ghana, an initiative called <a href="http://www.stembees.org/about-us/">STEMbees</a> not only promotes science, technology, engineering and maths training for women and girls; it also addresses social issues such as digital safety. There could be lessons here for South Africa.

The country should also consider how technology can be used to empower and help women rather than shutting them out. There are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2017/mar/20/meet-the-women-using-tech-to-combat-sexual-assault">many examples</a> of this globally. 

Along with this learning, South Africa needs to thoroughly research and understand the effects of the fourth industrial revolution on women and the barriers – whether educational, social or technological – to accessing and utilising internet based resources. 

Policy responses to promoting women in STEM need to holistically address both the lack of women in STEM fields as well as the structural factors that have led to this situation.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121216/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-adams-790073">Rachel Adams</a>, Research Specialist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/human-sciences-research-council-2144">Human Sciences Research Council</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-risks-leaving-women-behind-121216">original article</a>.

Will the Fourth Industrial Revolution leave women behind ?

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As it is very evident that Africa is rushing towards the fourth industrial revolution, the need to promote the growth of a vibrant AI ecosystem in Africa is very critical. Joining CNBC Africa to help understand why’ is Anu Shah, Founder and CEO of EFI Hub.

Why Africa should bet on artificial intelligence

<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/agriculture-13730152618Ej-1110x735.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-335002"/><figcaption>Picture: Public Domain Pictures</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">With Africa poised to have the largest workforce by 2035,
will we have enough food?</h3>



By <a href="http://cnbc.africa/?s=nnamdi+oranye">Nnamdi
Oranye</a> and Ryan Peter



I&#8217;m sure you know by now, but we&#8217;re at the dawn
of a new age. When you studied history at school, you probably (at least once)
wondered about what it might have been like to live in the dawn of the
industrial revolution, or the advent of the Renaissance, or perhaps even the
Tang dynasty in China, or some other key time period in human history. But in
generations to come, people will wonder what it was like to live in *your* time
period &#8211; the emergence of a new technological age; the time of the Fourth
Industrial revolution; the time when humanity and technology began to converge.



What will be the outcome? It remains to be seen.
There are a lot of alarmists out there, but when we look at the data, we&#8217;re
seeing the positives are far outweighing the negatives.



History shows us that this generally happens.
Think of what it must have been like at the beginning of the Agricultural
Revolution of the 18th century in Britain. This was a key time when
agricultural methods finally broke with the past, with new techniques and
scientific discovery led to better crop yields, greater diversity of crops, and
the ability to sustain more livestock. It was a huge contributor to Britain&#8217;s
growth, economy, and health, in particular. Farming suddenly became big
business, thanks to the invention of technology such as the horse-drawn seed
press, which made labour much less intensive and much more productive. Britain
actually progressed more rapidly than any other European country, despite its
smallness. The new methods meant more could be done on the same land than ever before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology brings benefits &amp; social change </h2>



This Agricultural Revolution brought with it
major changes. The positive changes were obvious: food was more widely
available, could be sold for cheaper, and more people could sustain their
health. A healthy society is a more productive, happy society, which brings
with it all the benefits. Productivity and availability were all increased. But
it caused major social upheaval as well. In order to support the new methods of
farming, Enclosure Laws were passed, which limited the common land available to
small farmers. Wealthy lords soon swooped in and purchased public fields,
pushing out the small scale farmers, who migrated to the cities (and later
became the labor for new emerging industries in the Industrial Revolution).
Technology always brings with it tremendous benefits along with major social
change. 



Things are no different today. We&#8217;ve got the
emergence of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) which is set to change everything &#8211;
and in numerous positive ways. The rise of self-driving farm vehicles is one
aspect in agriculture that is getting a lot of mainstream press. In the
Agricultural Revolution there was the horse-drawn seed-press, today there is
the computer-drawn seed press. But there is also a huge amount happening behind
the scenes with the advent of A.I. Machine learning models are being developed
to help both track and predict local weather and other environmental impacts,
or measure and predict soil quality. Access to the technology is also becoming
significantly easier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The agriculture sector remains challenging</h2>



Nuru (Swahili for &#8220;light&#8221;), developed
by <a href="https://plantvillage.psu.edu/solutions">PlantVillage</a>
is an A.I. assistant that provides expert level farming knowledge to anyone who
has the app on their phone. It has learned to diagnose various diseases &#8211;
armyworm infections, potato disease, wheat disease, and others. Along with this
app, PlantVillage is looking to use drones that collect images and video and
help farmers to spot disease in their crops a lot easier. PlantVillage is even
looking to use satellite imagery to spot where crops are struggling. This is
being used in Africa today. A lot of this is making use of Tensorflow, which is
Google&#8217;s open sourced A.I. to help developers find solutions to real-world
problems. Just this week, Google opened its first A.I. lab in Ghana. The
company is clearly positioning itself as an A.I. company first and foremost. 



The Agricultural Sector remains one of Africa&#8217;s
most challenging sectors, but it is transforming quickly. In Sub-Saharan
Africa, it is projected to become a US$1 trillion industry by 2030, according
to <a href="https://www.pwc.co.za/en/press-room/tech-innovation-agribusiness.html">PriceWaterhouse</a>.&nbsp; With Africa to have the largest workforce by
2035, an increased healthy food production is absolutely key. We have to
challenge our traditional modes of thinking when it comes to farming. With so
much land available and so much new technology beginning to emerge,
agribusiness is sure to be good business looking forward.



We can&#8217;t go back. Technology has arrived, is
here to stay, and is ready to evolve along with us. Yes, it&#8217;ll bring societal
change. Yes, lawmakers will probably even make mistakes. Arguably, the
Enclosure Laws did help to create wide class gaps which the Industrial
Revolution exacerbated. But on the other hand, it also helped lift many others
out of poverty. The question for all of us is whether we will run ahead and
foresee the change coming, work with it, work with the players involved, and
guide it all towards greener pastures. 



Nnamdi Oranye
is an author and the CEO of Disrupting Africa, a research think-tank dedicated
to moving African innovation forward. He is the author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disrupting-Africa-Rise-African-Innovation-ebook/dp/B01EIG274S/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=nnamdi+oranye&amp;qid=1555507001&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2-spell">Disrupting
Africa: The Rise and Rise of African Innovation</a>” and “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Silicon-Valley-Africas-Innovators-ebook/dp/B0759G581H/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nnamdi+oranye&amp;qid=1555506964&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1-spell">Taking on
Silicon Valley: How Africa’s Innovators Will Shape its Future</a>”.



Ryan Peter
is a writer and the chief editor of the <a href="https://disruptingafrica.com/index.php?title=List_of_African_Innovators">Disrupting
Africa Encyclopedia</a>, which
has made it its mission to write the stories of Africa’s innovators and
entrepreneurs.

A.I. AgriBusiness is Good Business

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AI expert, Jared Molko joins CNBC Africa to speak about the Future of Artificial Intelligence and the possibilities that are available for generations to learn from.

SA corporates using AI to hire

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Artificial intelligence is a central factor for South Africa&#8217;s move into the fourth industrial revolution. CNBC Africa is joined by smart technology entrepreneur and Artificial Intelligence expert, Jacques Ludik.

Cortex Logic’s Jacques Ludik on the latest AI trends your business should know

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In Africa, major organisations have started to use Artificial Intelligence in their daily business operations. To unpack more about business intelligence and data analytics in the world of Artificial intelligence CNBC Africa is joined by Sherlock Holmes, CEO and President of Genware Computers Systems.

How natural language generation will transform the way companies operate

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Artificial intelligence, 5G and the Fourth Industrial Revolution is presenting some interesting views and challenges of how human nature will mature and adapt to these evolutions. CEO of TransUnion Africa, Lee Naik has penned his take on &#8216;Digital with a purpose&#8217;. He joins CNBC Africa to talk about his analysis of these trends for 2019.

2019 TransUnion technology trends for Africa

By Lee Naik, CEO, TransUnion Africa



In 2019, it’s not the technology that matters – it’s the thinking behind it. Disruptive technologies that once seemed revolutionary are fast becoming ordinary parts of our lives and we are reaching the point where digital stops being a thing and becomes everything. 



My take on the trends presents a view of how we as humans can consider some of these technological advances that are intrinsically part of our world and our lives and apply purpose to them.



Technologies
Converge as 5G Lands



Biometrics, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI),
IOT, augmented and mixed reality: none of these technologies are new &#8211; NASA has
been using a digital twin framework as far back as the Apollo 13 mission. What
is new is the way in which they are maturing and converging at more or less the
same time, allowing them to build on each other and enable new applications.
Many potentially game-changing technologies are expected to be embedded in our
core processes within the next few years.



Smart cities, for example, are exploring the use of
real-time machine learning and EDGE computing to better deliver existing
connected services. As IOT sensors become cheaper and more ubiquitous, we are
now are gaining access to the sensory information needed to build applications that
solve problems in novel, hyper-contextualized ways.



At the same time, the catalyst that will allow these technologies to become accessible to the average African consumer is finally within reach. Last year saw the first commercially available 5G service launch in Lesotho, with more rollouts planned throughout 2019. With 5G offering speeds up to 1000 times faster than what we’re used to, digital connectivity is about to take a quantum leap forward in Africa. Assuming that South Africa sorts out its spectrum issues &#8211; and both government and telcos have shown great progress here over the last few months &#8211; 5G has the potential to solve a persistent barrier to digital growth &#8211; that of last mile connectivity. When even the most rural and remote areas have access to reliable, high-speed connectivity, the infrastructure will finally be in place for us to re-imagine service delivery for government and business and take us closer to an egalitarian digital society for citizens.



AI
Goes Mainstream



In 2019, machine learning and AI are no longer the
sole domain of the “Big Four” multinational tech companies (Google, Amazon,
Facebook, and Apple – GAFA) and major tech organisations. We’ve already seen
chatbots flourish as the tools to build them have become available to the
Average Joe. Now, we’re seeing the same happening with more advanced AI
analytics as <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/industry/technology/technology-media-and-telecom-predictions/cloud-based-artificial-intelligence.html">DevOps embraces end-to-end
automation</a>. The more complex, labour-intensive tasks associated with AI are now being
packaged into simple, easy-to-deploy applications, and accessibility is opening
up in a big way.



This means that anyone with enough development
knowledge can theoretically build their own mini-Watson, not just major
enterprises with full data science teams at their disposal. Start-ups,
entrepreneurs, small businesses and NGOs alike will be able to leverage
existing tools to create their own AI-driven platforms and ecosystems.
According to <a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2019/">Gartner</a>, citizen data scientists
are expected to grow at five times the rate of their professional
counterparts.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 



African organisations and entrepreneurs in
particular stand to benefit as they can more easily access game-changing data
analytics that would’ve been unthinkable a few years ago. On the flipside, the
competitive landscape is about to get a lot hotter as sophisticated AI becomes
not just a nice-to-have but a key competitive differentiator. Organisations are
going to need to take a serious look at their business intelligence
capabilities going into 2019 and see whether they can keep up in a market where
AI is everywhere.&nbsp; Finally, we will see
the move from a gut feel to analytics lead organisations. 



The
Digital Identity Question Takes Centre Stage



With the meeting of the digital and physical
worlds, having a fully formed digital identity is increasingly important in being
able to access real-world services. From banking to travel to hospitals,
industries are embracing the use of biometrics, digital onboarding, and
connected devices to serve consumers. Anyone who lacks a digital footprint
stands to be left out.



Shifting to a digital identity model isn’t easy,
not when identity fraud, spoofed information, and even deepfakes are
everywhere. It’s never been more important to have the tools and processes in
place to be able to distinguish real from fake. The other defining question
around digital identities is how you integrate an individual’s online and
offline behaviours to form a unified picture of who they are. Expect to see a
major focus in 2019 on data protection technologies as organisations struggle
with how to deliver more relevant experiences to their customers, without
exposing themselves to risk. 



Identity inclusion stands to be the next great
frontier in digitising society, especially in the developing world where the
standard identity markers – ID numbers, addresses, utility bills, sources of
income &#8211; don’t always work. Thankfully, Africa has a head start in looking
beyond traditional ways of creating verifying digital identities to drive
service delivery. Using AI to establish digital identities as well as
alternative data models, will be key drivers in mapping digital identities and creating
more secure access to products and services.



Time
To Clean Up Your Data Act



Over the past few years, we’ve seen increased awareness
among consumers around their personal data and what it is used for. Even major
players that previously seemed untouchable are not immune to scrutiny of their
data and security policies. This year there will be less tolerance for bad data
practices.



The implementation of various consumer protection
policies around the world &#8211; GDPR and PoPIA in particular &#8211; put organisations
even under greater pressure to secure and utilise personal data ethically. With
great power doesn’t just come great responsibility but also a greater chance of
legal and financial consequences if you don’t follow through. 



Data protection technologies and services should
thrive as a result, but we’ll also see companies wrestling with just how to
implement analytics and make use of personal data without falling foul of
privacy laws. Thankfully, even as AI poses a challenge, it also provides a
potential solution &#8211; already, we are seeing sophisticated automated compliance
solutions powered by machine learning and natural language processing. 



Rediscovering
Purpose in a Changing World



We’ve seen a societal shift towards not only to more
ethical consumption of products and services, but also trying to live a more
purposeful life. Faced with more choices and information than they&#8217;ve ever had
access to, consumers are striving to make more meaningful choices whether it&#8217;s
who they work for, what they spend their time doing, or how they spend their
money. 



Similarly, organisations are wrestling with their
own purpose in a world with nearly unlimited data and powerful technology. How
do you make the right choices to grow and deliver meaningful outcomes to
shareholders, consumers and society at large? 



As the hype dies down on disruptive technologies
and they become an accepted part of our everyday lives, 2019 provides an
opportunity to seriously consider how they can be used purposefully. If every
choice we make is capable of being enhanced with data, and every object a
potential source of rich insights, then the limits on what we can and can’t do
to create better businesses and societies fall away. Expect the concept of
‘information for good’ to reach into even the most unexpected places as we
explore what it means to exist in the midst of the fourth industrial
revolution. 



I’ll be expanding on each of these trends in the months
to come, providing use cases and practical advice on how to navigate each of
them. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What trends do you think
will have the biggest impact on your industry? What predictions would you add
to the list above?

5 tech predictions for 2019

By Sebuh Haileleul, Country General Manager, Microsoft East Africa 



Digital transformation is the adoption of advanced technologies and the rise of innovations as companies and individuals reorganise to be mobile- and digital-first, multimodal, and intelligence-driven. It is a catalyst for engendering agility, and has become crucial for organisations to stay competitive, achieve successes, and even survive. 



A key enabler of this is artificial intelligence,which has been dubbed a ‘great transformer’. Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to systems that change their behaviours without being explicitly programmed to do so – simply put, they learn. These systems use things like aggregated data, usage analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive analytics to deliver intuitive insights or make choices, improving efficiency and even shifting business models across all sectors. It is also expected to ultimately boost overall economic growth, and create jobs not yet imagined. 



Transforming
organisations and industry



AI, machine learning, and automation are expected to provide organisations with new means to overcome typical challenges like time constraints, limited skilled resources, and bottlenecks to overall business processes. It can also be used to support security and safety systems,to spot anomalies and patterns. 



AI platforms will support critical systems to run securely and reliably and extract the right information. That’s why we want to see AI embraced in Africa, bringing AI to every application, business process, and every employee. AI technology from Microsoft, for example, is enabling accident prevention through computer vision – scanning video inputs for potential risk, and using this information to improve organisational safety going forward. 



Empowering societies



We believe that AI has the potential to empower people – making the world a better place and Africa will not be left behind. Microsoft has invested $115 million over five years into initiatives that provide funding, technology and expertise to nonprofits and organisations so that they can tackle pressing issues within their own societies. Examples of this exists in <a href="https://www.cio.co.ke/news/little-boosts-platform-security-face-api-part-microsoft-cognitive-services/">Little Cab</a> – a Kenyan cab hailing service. In 2017, LittleCab partnered with Microsoft to launch a driver login verification feature on its app, using facial recognition technology provided by <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/cognitive-services/face/">Microsoft Cognitive API</a> and selfies. A smart African-grown system like this ensures that riders have peace of mind while using the service, as it eliminates the opportunity for non-registered drivers to pose as Little Cab drivers.



Within the financial services industry, AI is the underlying tech that helped Finserve launched <a href="https://techweez.com/2018/09/03/finserve-mkey-launch/">mKey</a> – Africa’s first keyboard app that converges social,and financial services into an integrated lifestyle. Operating on MicrosoftAzure technology, it also rewards users the more they transact, blending the best of social conversations with the full breadth of financial services,capturing that entire world on your keyboard, giving users the opportunity to make more possible.



Transforming economies



It is said that by 2050, the need to produce food globally will become crucial. With water levels receding and arable land already limited, the agriculture industry has been placed in the spotlight for needing to adopt innovative technologies crucial to long-term survival. At a time where resources and crops need to be tracked – AI enabled data-driven insights are able to boost agricultural productivity through increasing yields and reducing losses. Through <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/farmbeats-iot-agriculture/">Farmbeats</a>,seamless data collection is collected from various sensors, drones and cameras. The solution also accounts for weather-related power and Internet outages. 



Clearly the potential inherent in AI is huge, but the emergence of AI in combination with automation has also prompted fears – specifically about its long-term impact on employment. Opponents caution that many people may stand to lose their jobs to machines fitted with AI capabilities, particularly at the lower-skill end of the spectrum.



Proponents, on the other hand, argue that new or refreshed industries will benefit from AI, which according to some research will actually create more jobs than it makes obsolete. Additionally Gartner reports that AI augmentation will generate about $2.9 trillion in business value and recover about $6.2 billion in worker productivity by 2021. Others argue that AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy in 2030,more than the current output of China and India combined. 



At Microsoft, we do not foresee AI fully replacing humans in the workforce, but rather functioning as a tool that augments human abilities, freeing up people from routine, repetitive tasks, to focus instead on higher reasoning, creativity, and relationship-building –skills that remain uniquely human. 



Microsoft’s vision for AI is one of empowerment – technology providing organisations and individuals with the tools required to innovate and perform to the best of their ability. Our approach of making AI accessible through infusing it in everything we do will only add and streamline the greater agenda of governments, forging the way forward to an all encompassed digital society.

Op-Ed: How artificial intelligence is spearheading unprecedented change in Africa

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The Gartner Symposium and IT expo Africa is driving digital transformation and shaping the future of IT and business. The event hosts more than 25 African and global solution providers to uncover new ways to approach digital challenges. Joining CNBC Africa for more is Vice-President of Research and Chairman of the Gartner Symposium, Brian Burke.

Quantum computing will be a game changer for industries in the next few years, here’s why

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Artificial Intelligence has the potential to double South Africa&#8217;s economic growth according to Accenture analytics. According to research businesses that operate in sectors such as manufacturing through to agriculture will benefit the most from adopting Artificial Intelligence. Joining CNBC Africa for more is Hans Zachar, Managing Director, Accenture.

Understanding the impact of artificial intelligence on SA businesses, jobs

By: Zoaib Hoosen, Microsoft Managing Director 
It’s no longer news that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a <a href="https://becominghuman.ai/why-africa-needs-to-prepare-now-for-the-future-of-work-1a132e1c9a77">driving force</a> behind the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with the global economic returns of this revolution expected to be in the region of about $16 trillion.
Along with these returns, AI is also expected to create 2.3 million new jobs by 2020, according to <a href="https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3837763">Gartner</a>.
However, if we look at previous revolutions, history shows us that these revolutions have always been accompanied by a brief transition of temporary job loss followed by a period of recovery where job creation moves into more positive territory.
This means that we all need to take steps now to prepare AI in the future.
Leapfrogging aboard the AI train
Currently, no African country is among the top 10 countries expected to benefit most from AI and automation. But, the continent has the potential to catch up with the rest of world if we act fast.
To play catch up, we must take advantage of our best and most powerful resource &#8211; our human capital. According to a <a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf">report</a> by the World Economic Forum (WEF), more than 60 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 25.
These are the people who are poised to create a future where humans and AI can work together for the good of society. In fact, the most recent WEF Global Shapers survey found that <a href="https://mashable.com/2017/08/30/millennials-robots-jobs/?utm_cid=hp-n-3#6vl1hOIbfaq2">almost 80 percent of youth</a> believe technology like AI is creating jobs rather than destroying them.
Staying ahead of the trends to stay employed
AI developments are expected to <a href="http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2017/04/why-artificial-intelligence-is-the-future-of-economic-growth/">impact existing jobs</a>, as AI can replicate certain activities at greater speed and scale. In some areas, AI could learn faster than humans, if not yet as deeply.
According to Gartner, while AI will improve the productivity of many jobs and create millions more new positions, it could impact many others. The simpler and less creative the job, the earlier, <a href="https://blog.forecast.it/blog/how-to-prepare-yourself-and-your-career-for-an-ai-future">a bot for example</a>, could replace it.
It’s important to stay ahead of the trends and find opportunities to expand our knowledge and skills while learning how to work more closely and symbiotically with technology.
Another global study by <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/will-ai-create-as-many-jobs-as-it-eliminates/">Accenture</a>, found that the adoption of AI will create several new job categories requiring important and yet surprising skills. These include trainers, who are tasked with teaching AI systems how to perform; explainers, who bridge the gap between technologist and business leader; and sustainers, who ensure that AI systems are operating as designed.
It’s clear that successfully integrating human intelligence with AI, so they co-exist in a two-way learning relationship, will become more critical than ever.
Combining STEM with the arts
Young people have a leg up on those already in the working world because they can easily develop the necessary skills for these new roles. It’s therefore essential that our education system constantly evolves to equip youth with the right skills and way of thinking to be successful in jobs that may not even exist yet.
As the division of tasks between man and machine changes, we must re-evaluate the type of knowledge and skills imparted to future generations.
For example, technical skills will be required to design and implement AI systems, but interpersonal skills, creativity and emotional intelligence will also become crucial in giving humans an advantage over machines.
“At one level, AI will require that even more people specialise in digital skills and data science. But skilling-up for an AI-powered world involves more than science, technology, engineering and math. As computers behave more like humans, the social sciences and humanities will become even more important. Languages, art, history, economics, ethics, philosophy, psychology and human development courses can teach critical, philosophical and ethics-based skills that will be instrumental in the development and management of AI solutions.” This is according to Microsoft president, Brad Smith, and EVP of AI and research, Harry Shum, who recently authored the book <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-president-says-tech-needs-liberal-arts-majors-2018-1?IR=T">“The Future Computed”,</a> which primarily deals with AI and its role in society.
Interestingly, institutions like Stanford University are <a href="http://thecampustap.com/liberal-arts-degree-technical-skills/">already implementing this</a> forward-thinking approach. The university offers a programme called CS+X, which integrates its computer science degree with humanities degrees, resulting in a Bachelor of Arts and Science qualification.
Revisiting laws and regulation
For this type of evolution to happen, the onus is on policy makers to revisit current laws and even <a href="http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2017/04/why-artificial-intelligence-is-the-future-of-economic-growth/">bring in new regulation</a>s. Policy makers need to identify the groups most at risk of losing their jobs and create strategies to reintegrate them into the economy.
Simultaneously, though AI could be hugely beneficial in areas such as curbing poor access to healthcare and improving diagnoses for example, physicians may avoid using this technology for fear of malpractice. To avoid this, we need regulation that closes the gap between the pace of technological change and that of regulatory response. It will also become essential to develop a code of ethics for this new ecosystem.
Preparing for the future
With the recent convergence of a transformative set of technologies, economies are entering a period in which AI has the potential overcome physical limitations and open up new sources of value and growth.
To avoid missing out on this opportunity, policy makers and business leaders must prepare for, and work toward, a future with AI. We must do so not with the idea that AI is simply another productivity enhancer. Rather, we must see AI as the tool that can transform our thinking about how growth is created.
It comes down to a choice of our people and economies being part of the technological disruption, or being left behind.

Op-Ed: How Africa can embrace an artificial intelligence enabled future

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With a foundation of over 15 million customers in Nigeria, Diamond bank looks to personalise banking experience for its customers with the launch of an Artificial Intelligence powered Chatbot called Ada.

Diamond Bank launches artificial intelligence powered Chatbot ‘Ada’

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According to a recent report dubbed Guardians of Trust by KPMG International, just 35 per cent of executives say they have a high level of trust in the way their organization uses data and analytics. So who is responsible when things go wrong?

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