At an escalating rate, and amid uncertain outcomes, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping organisational structures, roles and careers, leadership and the meaning of work, evoking a maelstrom of human emotions. From fear, anxiety and apprehension to excitement and wonder, it’s hard to know exactly what to make of the rapidly changing AI transformations underway in our workplaces, organisations and institutions.
According to Gibs lecturer and CEO of the African Academy of Artificial Intelligence, Greg Serandos: “The single greatest opportunity that AI presents to humans is its ability to do the repetitive work that humans shouldn’t need to handle. Freed from boring, rote tasks, we can focus on more fulfilling creative and strategic tasks.”
Serandos is one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming What It Means to Be Human in an AI World event hosted by SACAP (The South African College of Applied Psychology) on 2 April 2025 at its Cape Town campus.
Dr Jaclyn Lotter, SACAP’s academic dean says, “After quickly responding to the impact of generative AI in education, SACAP is exploring the psychology of being human in an AI world on both academic and practical grounds. Our belief is that a fear-based approach is not going to useful in navigating AI transformations. Instead, we’ve taken an educational approach and a strong ethics-based approach to how AI is shaping our workplace and our student experience. We acted quickly to educate and upskill both our students and educators because AI literacy is one of the bedrock strategies for effectively navigating an AI world.”
AI workplace transformations make new demands on leaders
The SACAP What It Means to Be Human in an AI World event will highlight how critical it is for organisations to have leaders in place who are highly literate when it comes to AI. It’s an opportunity for business executives, change management specialists, HR professionals, industrial psychologists, and executive coaches, amongst others to get valuable insights from AI’s leading edge.
Serandos, who will share expertise and latest insights into AI leadership and strategy, says: “Leaders, first and foremost, need to understand the basics. We are in year three of a five-year AI-driven business transformation, so AI education is now urgent. This AI knowledge will help leaders identify high-impact low-risk AI applications to implement in their organisations.”
The other keynote speaker at What It Means to Be Human in an AI World is Francois van der Merwe, CEO of Otinga.io and an award-winning AI strategist, who points out that: “In the world of AI, it starts with understanding how the technology can be used for good, how it fails, how it might cause harm and most importantly, how it can be used to create immense value in the world. After all, every useful technology that humans have discovered or invented has the potential to create or destroy. What’s important is the will of the person wielding the technology.”
Holding onto to what makes us human
AI is highly capable at routine tasks, such as data analysis. It makes sense, then, for humans to hand over that kind of work to machines – in fact, if we don’t, we will be left behind by our competitors. However, there’s a significant range of work where the human being cannot be replaced, as well as the necessity for humans to oversee many of AI’s outputs.
Carl Badenhorst, SACAP’s head of learning innovation says: “AI can process data and suggest answers fast. But people ask the deeper questions. We understand nuance and context. We know when something feels off. We can pause, reflect, and choose. We are part of a long story, from stone tools to AI. Each tool changes how we work and think. But people shape tools, not the other way around. Being human now means learning to work with AI without losing our own thinking. It’s not about knowing everything. It’s about knowing how to learn, how to ask, and how to challenge what AI gives us.”
Join SACAP for this essential discussion on the future of work and AI’s role in shaping human potential. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain actionable insights from top AI thought leaders.
Date: Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Time: 6pm to 7.30pm
Venue: SACAP Cape Town Campus, 1st Floor, Sunclare Building, 21 Dreyer Street, Claremont, Cape Town
Learn more and register here.
