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Prof Tshilidzi Marwala. 

Prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

 

"The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is here and there is nothing we can do about it. We have to prepare ourselves for it, otherwise people will continue losing jobs," says the vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Johannesburg, Prof Tshilidzi Marwala. 

Marwala said this during the recent public lecture on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Society held at Univen.

According to him, the 4IR will fundamentally change people’s lives and it covers fields such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and robotics. "Artificial intelligence is a paradigm where physical and social phenomena are programmed to solve complex problems. It enables machines to learn, adapt, evolve and optimise, and has had a profound impact in diverse fields such as engineering and medical sciences," he added.

According to him, the 4IR will bring changes in the employment sector and artificial intelligence will unleash a whole new level of productivity. "The machines do not require frequent breaks. They can work for long hours without complaining or getting tired. It is inevitable that some jobs are going to be impacted through artificial intelligence, but it will also create new jobs that will drive economic growth."

He added that replacing humans with machines could lead to more unemployment. "Our country will need to adapt to the changing nature of work by focusing on training people for the jobs of tomorrow."

He urged the youth to work hard in order to be competitive globally. "If we do not have young people who are hungry to study and work very hard, we will continue to be consumers and poor," he said. 

 

News - Date: 03 August 2019

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Mbulaheni Ridovhona

The 22-year-old Mbulaheni (Gary) Ridovhona has been passionate about journalism to the extent that he would buy himself a copy of weekly Univen students' newsletter, Our Voice. After reading, he would write stories about his rural village, Mamvuka, and submit them to the very newsletter for publication. His deep-rooted love for words and writing saw him register for a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies at the University of Venda, and joined the Limpopo Mirror team in February 2016 as a journalism intern.

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