AI is a beneficial learning tool but has a dark side
SA behind UK in terms of business, schooling
SA is on point with online banking and some transport companies provide online payment services.
But government’s online services were still poor and data costs too expensive, Liam Chellew, an IT technician at King’s Ely School in Cambridgeshire in the UK, said.
He was giving The Rep his perspective on aspects of artificial intelligence. He has lived in Ely for more than a year, having previously made several visits.
He first completed a CompTIA A+ 1000 and Microsoft 365 certifications online.
Chellew said that in some areas, the digital gap between the UK and SA was not that big, citing that most big cities here allow payment by bank card, including tapping a card to get on a bus.
SA businesses made great strides: it is possible to use the bank’s mobile app to open a bank account without setting foot in the branch.
In the UK, however, a growing trend was online shopping from picking to paying and delivery.
Chellew spoke of some of the SA shortfalls.
“In the UK I have requested my UK driving licence by ordering the forms online and sending the forms back via the post office. I registered to vote via my online banking app, I haven't stepped into a government or bank building once. One may initially have to go to the relevant buildings for initial setup, but I haven’t had to in years.
“In SA I had to renew my driving license in Komani, where I had to wait hours in a queue and pay in cash only.”
In the UK, people go about their day without carrying a wallet. They use their phone to pay. There is also a good chance that they will have free Wi-Fi wherever they go. Mobile data is also quite affordable.
IN SA, businesses have been stepping up. When he lived here, he set up a bank account using the bank’s app.
In the UK, schools have transitioned to cloud computing (permanent online activity) while the majority of schools in SA have yet to reach that level.
“Everything is worked on and saved online, where it can be accessed from any internetconnected device. Pupils use laptops in classes and exams. Homework is assigned via Microsoft Sharepoint and OneNote, or schools use the Google equivalents,” he said.
He said 35% of the cars on the UK roads are electric.
Chellew said humanoid robotics have been demonstrated to the UK public but are not used in businesses yet. He spoke about airline company Vertical Aerospace, which is developing electric aircraft.
“They are working on zeroemission, electric, aerial transportation within the urban environment. It’s supposed to cut down travel times and noise.
“These planes have a range of 160km and can travel at about 241km/h. It can get you from Whittlesea to Komani in about eight minutes.”
He is captivated by the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to provide people with information and step-by-step education for children and adults including the elderly.
“AI is able to advise on the most beneficial ways to build infrastructure, and provide advice on how to govern or prevent issues. I sometimes use Chat GPT when I need to assist someone with software that I haven’t heard of.”
AI may make life easier but it has a dark side. Chellew said strangers could use AI to figure out how to access home security. In the same way that scammers use email, SMS or WhatsApp, when AI is used, it can be difficult to discern what is real or fake.
AI, he says, is not smart enough to do things humans can do. It's only as smart as what humans have taught it.
Ethical AI can in future be of tremendous help to humans, but it can also be dangerous.