Transformation vs Crisis Is Artificial Intelligence the Cause of the High Rate of Unemployment?

The rollout of ChatGPT was a huge blow and has kept many wordsmiths up at night. Many writers were, and are, still wondering whether that is the end to their skills demand.

In as much as the energy crisis is crippling the economy, restoring the entity responsible for the country’s energy supply should not take away from addressing the dire need for transformation. More so now than ever because its impact affects mainly those who were previously marginalised.

This crisis can in fact be the best opportunity to ramp up the country’s transformational efforts. The high demand for energy should be a chance to create more opportunities for black entrepreneurs.

There are a range of ways in which the energy crisis could be leveraged to drive transformational change. For example, investing in renewable energy sources could create new opportunities for small-scale black entrepreneurs to participate in the energy sector. There is also a trend of black-owned mining companies that can meet up the need for coal.

Prioritizing transformational change alongside efforts to address the immediate crisis can be a more effective and equitable way to our country’s energy and economic crisis.

One way to achieve this is by investing in renewable energy sources while also providing training and education for young people in the sector. By equipping young people with the skills and knowledge they need to participate in the renewable energy sector, South Africa can build a more skilled and diverse workforce that supports long-term economic growth and sustainable energy supply.

Simply appointing a new minister to the entity responsible for energy supply may not be enough to solve the crisis. South Africa has a history of ministers who have failed to effectively address issues in their portfolios, and addressing the energy crisis requires a more comprehensive and collaborative approach that involves a range of stakeholders, including government, industry, and civil society.

Because of this ChatGPT, and several other language models that are currently being introduced to the market, the question of whether AI is going to replace human workers has once again been brought up.

Although many knew that AI was upon us and that it is going to replace more workers, few have imagined that creative workers such as writers were also under threat.

AI’s ability to often perform tasks with greater accuracy and efficiency than humans makes it preferable to human resources. Furthermore, AI can work continuously without the need for breaks or time off, leading to higher output and faster completion of tasks. The efficiency, speed, and long-term financial benefits of AI are the main reasons many employers will continue to prefer it over human resources.

However, it is not all doom and gloom, the development and implementation of AI technologies can also create new job opportunities in fields such as data science, machine learning, and AI development. While AI may play a role in job losses in certain industries, it is not the sole cause of South Africa’s unemployment crisis in particular. Our country’s unemployment rate can be attributed to our poor education system and lack of investment in education and training programs tailored for the fourth industrial revolution.

The rollout of artificial intelligence might not affect as many yet due to its high cost. However, any company will prefer automation in a long run to human resources.

Experts also assert that the implementation of AI can improve productivity and lead to economic growth. However, this positive impact is only valid if the benefits generated by AI can offset the negative impact on employment.