As artificial intelligence continues to transform workplaces, universities and industries, much of the public debate has focused on whether AI will replace human jobs.
In a thought-provoking new op-ed, Dr Ntokozo Mahlangu, Risk Management Specialist and Strategic Advisory Board member at The DaVinci Institute, and Liata Monatisa, an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning practitioner, argue that society may be asking the wrong question.
Rather than focusing only on which jobs may disappear, they invite readers to consider who will own the technology and benefit from the extraordinary wealth AI creates.
Beyond The Fear Of Job Loss
Concerns about technology replacing workers have accompanied every major industrial revolution. However, the authors explain that AI represents a different kind of transformation because it can increasingly perform tasks previously associated with human reasoning, creativity and strategic decision-making.
While AI may replace certain activities, it is also enabling individuals, entrepreneurs and smaller teams to accomplish more than was possible only a few years ago.
The deeper challenge is whether workers, institutions and societies can adapt quickly enough to these changes.
Who Benefits From AI Productivity?
At the centre of the article is an important economic question: if AI performs an increasing amount of economically valuable work, how will the wealth it generates be distributed?
Dr Mahlangu and Monatisa argue that the most valuable assets in the AI economy include data, algorithms, computing infrastructure and intellectual property.
If ownership of these resources remains concentrated among a small number of companies and countries, AI could deepen existing inequalities. However, with the right policies and institutions, its productivity gains could support broader opportunity and shared prosperity.
Africa’s Place In The AI Economy
For Africa, the debate extends beyond whether AI will replace jobs. The more important question is whether Africans will participate as creators, innovators and owners of AI technologies rather than remaining consumers of systems developed elsewhere.
The authors call for greater investment in African research, digital infrastructure, education and locally owned AI companies. They also highlight the importance of protecting African data, languages and indigenous knowledge.
Guided by the philosophy of ubuntu, the development of AI should strengthen human dignity, expand opportunity and ensure that technological progress benefits society more broadly.
The future of AI will not be determined by technology alone. It will depend on the choices societies make about ownership, governance and the distribution of economic value.
Read the full op-ed here.
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