Technology disrupting the established order

This week we highlight a video interview that Mail & Guardian editor-in-chief Khadija Patel conducted with T-Systems managing director Gert Schoonbee on the topic of technological innovation’s disruption of traditional socioeconomic norms and models.

Patel puts forward the view that advances in technology have resulted in the need for a constant evaluation of whether many businesses or sectors of the economy are still relevant, and if they will still be operating in the same way 10 years from now.

Schoonbee contends that what makes industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution) different is that technology is moving into the business processes of all businesses, across all industries.

He says what makes it uncomfortable is the speed and the way in which it is infiltrating our business processes is unpredictable and therefore disruptive, which can create considerable anxiety.

No business is immune to the impact of technological innovation and the fourth industrial revolution, according to Schoonbee — the question is how to control the effect on our people and our country.

We need to ensure that we are not passive, but are proactive in managing whatever we have control over in such a way that it is positive for our country and its people.

The challenge is to make sure that the deployment of technology addresses the human elements in a positive manner, because industry 4.0 will not necessarily create jobs, which is of concern in a country that has 27% unemployment and 55% joblessness among the youth.

Patel and Schoonbee conclude that we can’t stop the fourth industrial revolution; we can only try to ensure the new digital global economy works to uplift South Africa. — Alf James