Imagine a world without personalised recommendations—where an app or program gets to know you based on your interactions with it and curates your options based on that. This was our reality just decades ago. Today, AI has transformed how we interact with technology and, more importantly, how technology understands and serves us.
As Group Executive for AI and Automation at Vodacom, I've witnessed firsthand how AI has evolved from a futuristic concept to an essential business enabler. What strikes me about the most powerful aspect of AI is that it is enabled by humanity. The intelligence part of the name represents what humans can do, and it is also an amazing enabler of creativity.
Accelerating Corporate Innovation
The transformation within our own corporate environments has been remarkable. AI has shortened timelines while enhancing output quality enabling teams to complete tasks that once required months of development in hours.
Whether it’s our strategist mapping organisational futures, a developer building complex applications, or a quality assurance professional testing solutions AI has made them more efficient. We're seeing automated development lifecycles, from code generation to testing and deployment, revolutionising how teams operate and deliver value to customers.
Enabling Industries Beyond Telecommunications
This efficiency extends beyond our internal operations. We’ve been enabling enterprise customers in ways traditional telecommunications companies never could through strategic investments in AI across multiple industries.
Agriculture is one example: one of our subsidiary companies uses this technology to analyse and understand soil composition. This empowers farmers to optimise crop yields and increase profitability. The ripple effect is profound - better yields mean improved food security and enhanced livelihoods for farming communities.
In retail, AI is helping us to understand the physical footprints at our retail stores, with our next step now being to implement AI to create efficient methods of directing customers to optimal locations and improving their shopping experience. Meanwhile, our cybersecurity capabilities have become more critical than ever. As digitisation accelerates, so do cyber threats. As AI becomes a cyberthreat, so it has also become a cyberhero, as we're positioned to provide heightened security through AI-powered solutions that adapt and learn from constantly emerging threats.
Powering National Infrastructure
We've also been contributing to South Africa's energy challenges through the management of coal transport. We’ve partnered with energy providers and implemented IoT and connectivity solutions to monitor coal while it’s being transported whether is between the pits to the port, or even to the fire. This ensures consistent energy efficiency—which was a major stumbling block in our energy crisis.
AI as Human Amplifier, Not Replacement
These applications demonstrate AI's true power: it's not about replacing human intelligence but augmenting it. The technology enables us to solve complex problems faster, make more informed decisions, and create innovative solutions that were previously impossible.
Connecting Africa for Good
Looking ahead, my vision for Vodacom extends beyond traditional telecommunications. We aspire to be a global enabler of industries, ensuring that access to connectivity, markets, and growth opportunities isn't determined by financial muscle alone. We're particularly focused on empowering SMEs across the African continent, recognising that inclusive growth drives sustainable development.
The responsibility that comes with AI leadership cannot be understated. The more we understand AI's capabilities, the more obligated we become to deploy it responsibly. As I often reflect: people won't be replaced by AI, but they may be replaced by people who understand AI.
Our mission remains clear - connecting for good, making connectivity affordable and reliable across Africa, and using technology as an enabler of human purpose.
By Athenkosi Ngubevana, Group Executive Head of Department Digital Process Re-Engineering
