Forget what AI can do, the real question is what difference it makes

The conversation surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving from discussing its capabilities to focusing on its impact. Dané Liebenberg, AI Executive for Retail and Business Banking at FNB, emphasizes that organizations are now more interested in how AI is applied to customer service, business operations, and decision-making.

While AI has been utilized for years in sectors like fraud detection, risk management, and customer service, the emergence of generative AI has expanded its potential applications. Liebenberg notes that the focus is shifting from systems that analyze and predict to ones that can understand, create, reason, and assist in real time.

Organizations are increasingly embedding AI into customer and employee workflows rather than restricting its use to specific processes. Liebenberg highlights that the most significant applications of AI are often unseen by users, working behind the scenes to simplify and expedite existing journeys.

AI is also being leveraged to automate administrative tasks and enhance employees' access to information. Liebenberg asserts that the most successful organizations will not merely automate tasks but will use AI to enhance human capabilities. Transparency and accountability will remain crucial considerations as AI becomes more prevalent. Liebenberg stresses that responsible AI, rather than being an afterthought, should be a foundational requirement for its sustainable adoption.

The importance of responsible AI was recently underscored after the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) withdrew a draft national AI policy in May. The policy was criticized for AI-generated content that fabricated non-existent academic citations and references. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi stated that only a complete reset could safeguard the integrity of such a vital policy area.