OPINION - Recently a childhood friend who is far from being tech savvy called me to seek advice about some uneasiness he had relating to his grandson.
He said he repeatedly overhead him in conversation with a mellow-voiced white female on the phone and referred to her as “Siri”.
I requested him to provide context to the incident and he replied that his grandson would on a regular basis talk to “Siri” and whenever he questioned the lad about the person on the other end of the call, he would blushingly reply, “Oh, she is my friendly ‘voice assistant’ and helps in facilitating calls for me”.
Not happy with his grandson’s response, my colleague decided to confer with his childhood friend and confidant - me.
Indeed I felt honoured, because I considered myself to be an ignoramus when dealing with these new technologies.
In an attempt to assist, I requested my colleague to identify the brand of cellphone his grandson was using, and he instantly replied that it was an “Apple iPhone”.
In response, I spontaneously burst out laughing and informed him that he had nothing to worry about.
“Siri”, certainly was a voice assistant provided by artificial intelligence and his grandson was telling the truth.
Anyone who owns a smart phone knows that we are all in it when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI).
“Siri” turning one’s speech into a text message is just one example of how computers are using algorithms to turn data into meaning.
But in the Fourth Industrial Revolution such exciting advancements also mean that work is changing, forever.
Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT) are shifting the boundaries of how we live, work and govern.
However, the pace at which we are introducing these new technologies does not match our ability as individuals or a nation to acquire the digital skills demanded of us.
Skills that allow young people to adapt to rapid change could be an important factor in determining whether the future is full of promise or peril.
Automation is beginning to hollow out the labour market, leaving many workers out of jobs.
On the other hand, the skills that are uniquely human and that complement digital technologies are increasingly in demand.
These skills, such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking and flexibility, have always been important for work and life, but the current context makes them even more crucial for future generations.
Future
Not only individuals’ future employment needs, but also ever more complex global challenges demand a new approach to education.
As boundaries between nations and communities - that once contained our problems - fade, we will need creative solutions to problems such as climate change, the global migrant crisis, and as the spread of the Ebola virus reminds us, cross-border health epidemics.
We need to foster good global citizens who actively care about their communities and the world, work together to solve problems across boundaries, and contribute to more inclusive and peaceful societies.
Throughout history, every society has grappled with how to best educate and prepare its youth for the world they will face.
Our contemporary world and the changes we predict for the future call for education to equip our youth with the appropriate set of skills.
Academic skills, such as mastery of reading, mathematics, and science are critical but not sufficient.
Youth increasingly need to be able to do such things as develop ideas, empathise with others and collaboratively solve problems.
They also need to have the resilience and adaptability to continue to learn and master new things as part of a lifelong learning process.
The problem is that most youth are not participating in the learning experiences that would help them develop this full breadth of skills.
Opportunities to engage in the types of experiences in and out of school that do promote these skills are too often unequally distributed between richer and poorer children, perpetuating deep inequalities both between and within nations.
It is estimate that 47% of jobs now done by humans could be eliminated as early as 2030.
But the situation is already serious. Of employers surveyed in nine countries, 40% said they could not fill entry-level jobs because of a lack of skills.
And worldwide, not having the right skills is the main reason why 30 to 45% of people who could work aren’t working to full capacity.
But we can turn the situation around if we rethink how we prepare our youth for work, especially those still in school - even basic skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics can help tomorrow’s workers land well-paying tech jobs (including creating the kind of artificial intelligence that powers “Siri”) as well as many jobs that now require computer skills, like manufacturing.
For South Africa to achieve the desired skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution there is an urgent imperative to critically examine the educational curriculum and overhaul the entire system.
Teaching and learning must be structured to fit these technological trends.
Given that education is a strategic instrument for social and economic transformation, the focus of education therefore, must shift to the development of the human capital required to meet present and future challenges of globalisation and the knowledge economy.
Schools and universities need to move away from textbook learning and start introducing virtual reality and artificial intelligence into the educational system.
Education
In preparation for this new venture, we need to redefine the basics of education to include the full breadth of academic and non-academic skills that all youth, rich and poor alike, need.
We need to rethink how to help youth have the types of learning experiences, both in and outside of school, which can help cultivate these skills.
There is a clear need for a more inclusive approach to digital upskilling. Digital skills are no longer a nice to have. They are vital for surviving and thriving in today’s and tomorrow’s digital world.
The disruptions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are upon us and how our youth cope with these dramatic changes will be dependent on how our educational institutions respond to it.
Remember in youth we hedge our future. We owe it to them to become the new gatekeepers of the world.
All that is required to empower them for this onerous task is to please provide them with appropriate education, skills and competencies.