Closing the Gap

UPDATED EDITION

'A holistic take on AI from an African perspective, Closing the Gap joins the dots on deploying AI efficiently into everyday business and life.' - RENUKA METHIL, editor of Forbes Africa

'This book simplifies complex concepts through relatable stories and awakens fellow Africans to the opportunities ushered in by the 4IR. Closing the Gapmust occupy our waking times.' - MTETO NYATI, chief executive of Altron

Closing the Gap is an accessible overview of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and the impact it is set to have on various sectors in South Africa and Africa. It explores the previous industrial revolutions that have led up to this point and outlines what South Africa's position has been through each one.

With a focus on artificial intelligence as a core concept in understanding the 4IR, this book uses familiar concepts to explain artificial intelligence, how it works and how it can be used in banking, mining, medicine and many other fields.

Written from an African perspective, Closing the Gap addresses the challenges and fears around the 4IR by pointing to the opportunities presented by new technologies and outlining some of the challenges and successes to date.

Auteur

PROFESSOR TSHILIDZI MARWALA is the vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Johannesburg. A professor of Electrical Engineering, Marwala is a leading thinker in artificial intelligence and the chair of System Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. A respected academic and author, he has served as a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and as a councillor at the National Advisory Council on Innovation. He is deputy to President Cyril Ramaphosa on the South African Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.