Artificial intelligence literacy and information ethics for a 4IR society Rachel Fischer
The term “Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)” often conjures up images of robots, drones, functioning e-government systems, e-passports and biometric scans. Klaus Schwab’s vision of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage and quantum computing inspires endless opportunities for progress and development in a variety of spheres, including the physical, digital, medical and educational dimensions. What the 4IR specifically enables is the opportunity to conduct simple, everyday activities remotely, effectively and with less human intervention. The sense of individual agency is strengthened as citizens are no longer limited by bureaucratic processes vis-à-vis formal office space. The demarcation between formal and informal spaces has become blurred, presenting the possibility to reimagine “the office”, “the university” and “the home”. However, for all these possibilities and opportunities, there are challenges too. If the 4IR is reliant on trustworthy and stable information and communication technology (ICT), electric and physical infrastructure, what are the implications if a country does not have these? Furthermore, if those with the requisite access, skills and abilities predominantly engage with the 4IR, what does this mean for those who do not have these? Will the lag in ICT development and accessibility exacerbate the digital divide? According to Njuguna Ndung’u and Landry Signé, the 4IR and digitisation can transform Africa into a global powerhouse. They argue that the “spread of digital technologies can empower the poor with access to information, job opportunities and services that improve their standard of living”. Making financial platforms (mobile banking) and education 2 0 2 0
(massive open online courses and mobile education platforms) more readily available to vulnerable groups, such as women, children and the elderly, would support their ability to participate in the knowledge economy, leading to their ability to become drivers for sustainable poverty eradication. Unfortunately, much of the emphasis on the 4IR revolves around digital and physical transformation, without considering the basic skills and literacies that are required to utilise these platforms, applications and processes. In so doing, it is imperative for formal education to prioritise the development and distribution of initiatives that are focused on digital, media and information literacies. The University of Pretoria is a key proponent in this space, as the Department of Information Science has been researching, teaching and promoting information literacy for some time. An example includes the book Navigating information literacy: Your information society survival toolkit, written by staff members Theo Bothma, Erica Cosijn, Ina Fourie and Cecilia Penzhorn in 2006. The Department also offers the Academic Information Management 101 (AIM 101) module to all the University’s first-year students. The scope of the module is to find, evaluate,
I N N O V A T E
1 5
T E A C H I N G
process, manage and present information resources for academic purposes using appropriate technology, to apply effective search strategies in different technological environments, to demonstrate the ethical and fair use of information resources, and to integrate 21stcentury communications into the management of academic information. These are essential skills requirement for the 4IR. The Department of Information Science also presents the Master’s in Information Technology, Stream B, which specialises in Library and Information Science (LIS). The master’s programme has been restructured from 2020 onwards, to specifically engage with LIS in light of the 4IR. The aim of programme is to build capacity to empower the next generation of LIS professionals with knowledge and skills to apply modern ICT in order to support academics and research. The programme is intended for middle-management LIS professionals involved in managing ICT or working in ICT-intensive environments in libraries and information services, as well as faculty members at LIS schools. In addition, the Department hosts the African Centre of Excellence A N D
L E A R N I N G
F O C U S
95
