AI migration can boost SMEs – index
I could. Receiving the bursary had the greatest impact on my life.
“For the first time, I had a sense of financial security that allowed me to focus on what was important. My studies became my main focus, and this allowed me to become the best practitioner that I could be,” said Greeff.
For Roné Pietersen, life and natural sciences teacher at the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology, obtaining a Paarl Media Bursary allowed her to be the first person in her family to obtain a degree.
Pietersen obtained a BEd with Further Education and Training at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2014.
“I realised from a young age that education would be the key to thrive amid adversity. My teachers inspired me to strive beyond my circumstances and because of this, I had a strong desire to follow a career where I could inspire individuals facing similar difficulties.”
Mecalfe added: “It is only by working together that we will be able to make a difference.” AT LEAST 80% of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe they will need to invest in automation or other advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), three dimensional printing and robotics over the next three to five years to remain competitive.
This is according to the 2018 Business Partners Limited SME index, which also found that 67% of the SME owners surveyed in this year’s first quarter felt the evolution of such technology had not yet contributed to the growth of their businesses.
Business Partners regional general manager Jeremy Lang said it was undeniable that the fourth Industrial Revolution had already begun and was taking the world by storm.
“Technologies such as AI are becoming more of a common feature in society and in the business realm.
“As such, it is imperative for local SMEs to strategise as to how they can start to incorporate these technologies in their businesses moving forward, and benefit from them,” said Lang.
He said despite the talk around how AI might jeopardise jobs, not only in South Africa but globally, it was important to note that during the development of the previous three industrial revolutions, many jobs evolved into new positions.
“This is supported by a recent report by Gartner, which states that by 2020, AI will generate 2.3 million jobs, exceeding the 1.8 million that it will wipe out.”
On the risk of cyberattacks, Lang said AI tools could be used to protect data from hackers by using machine learning to detect threats and unusual behaviour. – Sizwe Dlamini