AI adoption is a journey, and for now, it's one that humans are still directing. Bringing the technology on board is only the first of many steps required for organisations to benefit from it, says Sandra Lehmann, chief actuary at Discovery Vitality.
Lehmann is scheduled to present at the ITWeb AI Summit 2026 on 22 April at The Forum in Bryanston.
Speaking to ITWeb ahead of the event, Lehmann said AI has real capability, and there are genuine benefits to using it to optimise operations and the way we work.
"But humans are still in control. We're still the key decision-makers," said Lehmann. "AI can process and synthesise at a scale we never could, but it can't imagine. It can't ask the question that nobody has thought to ask. That's still us."
ITWeb AI Summit 2026
Lehmann stressed that decision-makers must invest in data before AI can deliver real value, because the technology is only as good as the foundations it sits on.
"Nobody applauds you for fixing something that hasn't broken yet," she said. "But the leaders who will win at AI are the ones who invest in the unglamorous work – data governance, quality, accessibility – before it becomes urgent. That decision is what makes everything else possible."
Once AI is in the organisation, Lehmann said adopting it is like hiring a new graduate – it requires direction, time and attention.
"Give it context. Review its work. Push back. Ask the same questions you would of any new person joining your team. The more you invest in the relationship, the better the output gets."
She cautioned against treating AI adoption as a moment rather than a muscle. Too many organisations put the technology in place and then wait for the benefits to arrive, she said.
"AI doesn't self-adopt. It doesn't walk into your business and start solving problems. Somebody has to wonder. Somebody has to care enough to explore. That curiosity – and the willingness to keep investing in the foundations – is what separates organisations that get value from AI from those that don't."
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