{
  "id": 18238308,
  "title": "AI will transform jobs and economies or leave SA Behind, warns executive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/ai-will-transform-jobs-and-economies-or-leave-sa-behind-warns",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-05T03:22:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/lifestyle/technology/ai-transform-jobs-economies-leave-sa-behind-warns-executive/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize industries, jobs, and economies worldwide, according to Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, Turkey and Africa (CEEMETA) at Dell Technologies. Speaking at the Dell Tech Forum in South Africa, Amin emphasized that AI is no longer a future concept but a present-day imperative. He described AI as the defining technological shift of a generation, stating that organizations must embrace it to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving digital global economy.\n\nAmin warned that businesses, workers, and governments that fail to adapt to AI risk being left behind. He argued that the companies redesigning their operations around AI will experience gains faster than any previous generation, while those that do not risk struggling to survive. South Africa, he noted, is well-positioned to benefit from AI's opportunities but must act now to transform its economy.\n\nAI's impact extends beyond technology departments, fundamentally altering how businesses operate, employees work, and economies grow. Amin emphasized that AI is an economic force influencing productivity, competitiveness, and job creation, not merely a technological trend. He urged workers, businesses, and governments to treat AI as an economic force that will shape the future.\n\nTo succeed in the AI era, Amin stressed the importance of prioritizing data strategies, as data will be the key differentiator between winners and losers. He also cautioned that cybersecurity, infrastructure, and data readiness must be integral components of an AI strategy, as they cannot be addressed separately. Amin's comments come amid South Africa's efforts to strengthen its AI governance framework, following the withdrawal of the country's draft AI policy due to concerns about AI-generated hallucinations producing fictitious academic references and sources.",
  "summary": "The impact of AI will extend far beyond technology departments.",
  "key_points": [
    "AI will transform jobs and economies worldwide, not just a future concept",
    "South Africa must act now to transform its economy with AI",
    "Data strategies and cybersecurity are crucial for AI success"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Failure to integrate AI into core operations and data strategies threatens to widen the competitive gap between South African businesses and the rapidly evolving global digital economy.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}