As the world shifts towards the fourth industrial revolution, the developing world must be careful not to appropriate solutions that will isolate the most vulnerable and marginalised in society.
So said science and technology minister Naledi Pandor delivering the keynote address at the Gauteng Technology Innovation Conference earlier today.
Held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, the conference brings together ICT experts and decision makers from across the public and private sectors and from academia to analyse the wave of digital and technological innovation across the South African economy.
Pandor said to be part of the radical digital revolution those in the research and innovative space must be more alert as to not appropriate the approaches and interventions that many across the world are appropriating, as those solutions may not provide the responses that are needed by developing nations.
According to her, the fundamental pursuit in a digital world is to determine how to take advantage of technological developments in order to address the most intractable problems.
We have to pose that question, she said. "If we do not pursue it - what will happen is that we will have many of us being part of these emerging technologies, taking advantage of these new opportunities but fundamentally the lives of those who are most poor, most vulnerable and who are most marginalised will remain the same."
You would have hundreds of thousands of us who are modern and engaged in these opportunities but then billions more who are excluded, expressed Pandor.
"As we deliberate on the matter of innovation and the digital revolution one of the things we need to look at is how do we use this opportunity in order to address the challenging and complex tasks and difficulties that confront our particular country, society particularly those that are vulnerable and marginalised, as well as the broad spectre of the continent of Africa and the entire developing world," said the science and technology minister.
Meanwhile, Pandor also implored delegates to challenge the notion that digital revolution means there will be no job opportunities.
This comes as recent research has forecast a grim outlook for the SA's job market in 2018, as automation and technology advancements dominate industries.
According to the minister, the age of the digital revolution means the opportunities will be different.
"We won't be idle...so we need to stop creating this notion that digital change is a threat to human economic activity."
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