The AI Revolution: How South Africa’s 91% of Employees are Secretly Plotting to Take Over the World
A shocking new report reveals that a staggering 91% of employees in South Africa are willing and able to use AI at work, leaving employers with no choice but to bow down to the inevitable robotic uprising. This is according to the results of research conducted by Oliver Wyman Forum, a New York-based think tank and management consulting firm, which surveyed 16,000 white-collar workers globally and 1,000 from South Africa.
The report, "How Generative AI is Transforming Business and Society," is a wake-up call for employers, who are unwittingly empowering their employees to become AI-powered overlords. Prejlin Naidoo, newly appointed partner at Oliver Wyman’s Johannesburg-based digital, communications, media, and technology practice, warns that employers must regulate AI use or risk being replaced by their own employees.
"Employees are using AI daily in their jobs, and it’s only a matter of time before they start making decisions on behalf of their employers," Naidoo ominously predicts. "How do you make sure you provide them with the knowledge and skills to use it effectively? And are they equipped to be able to spot hallucinations and ensure that they keep a human in the loop?"
The report also reveals that 21% of participants use AI daily in their jobs, placing the onus on employers to provide training and guidance to ensure AI is used responsibly. But with the SA daily AI use statistic significantly higher than the global average, it’s clear that the AI revolution is already underway.
Naidoo warns that the impact of AI on businesses will be devastating, with decision makers struggling to understand the fundamentals of the technology. "Use cases are emerging, but doing so randomly," he says. "A few large organisations in Africa may collaborate to build an Africa-specific LLM, but it’s unclear what the long-term consequences will be."
As the AI revolution gains momentum, regulators are beginning to take notice. The European Union has already published its first set of regulations, taking a risk-based approach to AI regulation. Naidoo predicts that South Africa will follow suit, but it may be too late. The genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no going back.
So, are you ready to surrender to the AI overlords?
