FINAL WORD
Why African enterprises should not over-trust AI
Generative AI models are trained on data from various sources , and these sources are not all verified , lack sufficient context , and are not regulated , which poses risks that can have long-term consequences if users are unaware of them , says Anna Collard at KnowBe4 AFRICA .
By the end of this year , the market for Artificial Intelligence in South Africa is projected to reach $ 2.4 billion , showing an annual growth rate of 21 % between now and 2030 . Locally , the technology has the potential to mitigate security risks , enhance decision-making , address legacy challenges , and have a significantly positive societal impact . Despite the impressive applications and implications , associated risks need to be considered .
Generative AI models are trained on data from various sources and these sources are not all verified , lack sufficient context , and are not regulated . AI is incredibly helpful in handling mundane administrative tasks associated with spreadsheets and statistics . However , it becomes concerning when we rely on it to make decisions that have the potential to influence people ’ s lives .
AI is an algorithmic construct built on the bones of human creative endeavours and data that is often flawed and biased . Kate Crawford , Professor at University of Southern California and Microsoft researcher , points out , AI is not truly artificial or intelligent . This poses risks that can have long-term consequences if users are unaware of them .
Crawford writes : AI is made from vast amounts of natural resources , fuel , and human labour . And it is not intelligent in any kind of human intelligence way . It is not able to discern things without extensive human training , and it has a completely different statistical logic for how meaning is made .
Since the very beginning of AI back in 1956 , we have made this terrible error , a sort of original sin of the field , to believe that minds are like computers and vice versa . We assume these things are an analogue to human intelligence , and nothing could be further from the truth .
74 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com