SA businesses should act sooner rather than later before many practical, easy-to-implement tools become redundant and ineffective

Johannesburg, 9 January 2025 —More than 60% of South African workers use generative AI tools regularly, and 21% integrate them into their daily duties. 

This is one of the critical findings of a study released by the Oliver Wyman Forum this year. This platform strives to bring together business, public policy and social enterprise leaders to help solve the world’s most challenging problems.

According to the study, which surveyed employees from various nations, South Africa’s genAI adoption rate is even higher than countries like France (41%) and the US (46%).

However, the survey also found that 70% of respondents are concerned that technology will make their jobs redundant.

“They shouldn’t be”, says Muhammad Ali, managing director of South African ISO specialist World Wide Industrial & Systems Engineers (WWISE).

He points out that countries like Singapore, a global leader in AI adoption, continue to boast an unemployment rate of less than 3% despite widespread use of the technology.

“AI can assist with marketing, creating content and understanding your audience. AI also processes large amounts of data into structured and relevant pillars of information. If prompted correctly, the uses are endless, from documenting policies, processes and procedures to finding solutions that address common problems,” he says.

By way of example, WWISE relies on the AI tool Claude 3.5 Sonnet to create accurate prompts which can be used to drive efficiency and reduce errors in business processes.

Gundo Mukwevho, a full-stack developer at WWISE, says businesses can streamline workflows, enhance customer service, and improve decision-making by leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT, Power Automate, UI-Path, and Claude AI.

“This combination of tools enables cost-effective automation of routine tasks, faster data-driven insights and scalable support solutions, allowing teams to focus on strategic work while enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.”

Ali is unequivocal that companies that continue to use outdated systems to manage operations risk making their confidential information public in an increasingly digital world that relies on AI.

Furthermore, he says that not embracing AI and machine learning will inevitably result in companies being left behind.

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate, and even existing AI tools are quickly becoming redundant. This means organisations must constantly stay one step ahead while fully utilising the currently available tools to save time and money.

Ali recommends that businesses implement AI and machine learning tools methodically and use International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standards like ISO 42001:2023 Information Technology—Artificial Intelligence to ensure an effective rollout.

“This standard offers many benefits. It improves AI applications' quality, security, traceability, transparency and reliability. It also offers better regulatory compliance through specific controls, audit schemes and guidance consistent with emerging laws and regulations. These aspects all contribute to the ethical and responsible use of AI.”

ISO/IEC 27001:2022, which covers Information Security, Cyber Security, and Privacy, remains the most common standard for organisations using AI. It manages risks within the entity and determines the correct measure of control when using or developing AI.

ISO standards in automation and AI help ensure long-term effectiveness and adaptability by:

• Creating a management system to govern the use and development of AI using international best practices.
• Implementing policies, processes, and procedures ensures the risks are understood and mitigations are acknowledged and planned for before utilisation or development.
• Assisting organisations to effectively use AI without disclosing confidential information.