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From the Editor's desk: The good, the bad, and the victims

Andrew Seldon, Editor.

When the Internet first arrived, everyone was expecting amazing things from it, well, everyone who knew what it was and how it worked. We had the dotcom boom and bust, and it’s fair to say that if we ignore the financial drama, the ability to communicate and exchange data globally certainly does have a positive side.

But today we see the other side of the Internet, with global tech companies telling governments what to do and basically ignoring privacy laws and individual rights. When you make billions in profit, why would a couple of hundred million in fines bother you? And, worst of all, we now have social media, which also started positively and quickly turned into a global spyware network dominated by bots, fake news, and even worse ‘stuff’.

And here we are today, with AI being the latest thing that is going to change the world. There is no argument that AI will change the world dramatically, but if you have been paying attention, you might have seen how the narrative is changing. Initially, only a few jobs would be impacted (euphemised as ‘job displacement’), then a few more, but people wouldn’t lose their jobs; they would simply have to learn to do them differently (‘job augmentation’). Now, slowly, more influential people are admitting that there will be a major upheaval when AI grows up. Despite the augmentation argument, the World Economic Forum predicts that, while new jobs will be created, AI and other technologies will displace 92 million jobs by 2030.

A McKinsey study estimates that up to 30% of the hours worked in the United States and 27% in Europe could be automated by 2030. I wonder how much of that study was augmented by AI? Nevertheless, given the numerous complaints about skills shortages and brain drain across this continent, companies here will be more than happy to hand over jobs to AI. In South Africa, where the official unemployment rate is over 33%, while the youth unemployment rate is much higher, a 30% loss of jobs will be catastrophic. A 30% decline in jobs would be catastrophic anywhere, but more so in a country that has been abused to the extent seen in South Africa.

Of course, AI could be used to change this country significantly if applied in the right places, such as in schools and universities – but that would require an effective Education Department and institutions focused on education instead of profits. A competent government and a well-functioning public security sector would also be nice.

SMART Security Solutions has had a busy couple of months, including a conference and a few interesting events. Some of the activities are mentioned in this issue, with more to come. Keep an eye on our website and, if you haven’t already, surf over to www.resc.co.za and see what’s happening at our last conference of the year in Johannesburg, to be held in October at the Indaba Hotel and Conference Centre.

What if someone invented an AI that did not emulate humans, but focused on logic, ethics and the greater good? That would be a first in SA; I’d vote for it.

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