Chairperson of the PC on Science and Technology Ms Lindiwe Maseko and Dr Daniel Visser of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and member of the Presidential Council on 4th Industrial Revolution at 4th IR Roundtable Discussion at Parliament

Parliament has hosted yet another 4th Industrial Revolution (4th IR) Roundtable discussion today to ascertain its legislative role and appreciate the opportunities and threats posed by it.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology, Ms Lindiwe Maseko, acknowledged the fact that the 4th IR exists, it is here and now. The challenge that parliamentarians are faced with is “to see how it can be harnessed to articulate the outcomes of the National Development Plan. And what skills set and policy implications it will have on our society.”

But according to her, the reality is that there is a need “for more resources to be put aside for research to realise the potential 4th IR.”

She also conceded that as Members of Parliament “we have to utilise our oversight mechanisms to engage with the ethical considerations embedded within this concept. But also we are expected to bridge the gap between it and the public and as such, we have to understand it broadly to be able to articulate it more and with ease”.

Defining its scope, one of the representatives of the Presidential Council on 4th Industrial Revolution, Dr Daniel Visser of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Member of the Presidential Council on 4th IR, stated that it is a convergence of all sciences into one – from physical, technological to biological sciences.

And according to him, there has been an argument if it is a revolution or not. “When considering the breath of its scope and how it impacts on the important spheres of life, one would concede that it is a revolution.”

Contextualising the significance of Parliament in it, he pointed out that other revolutions have caused upheavals. “We have not seen that yet because this revolution is still in transition. But if Parliament is not ready to mitigate its upheaval, jobs would be lost and it will change people’s lives negatively. This revolution will have far-reaching consequences ethically as it blurs the elements of privacy and ethics: what is private and what is public – and that is where Parliament must chip in to determine these boundaries,” he said.

But Parliament must also ensure that it benefits everyone, he emphasised. “It’s easy for these technologies to further the divide of the haves and have-nots. Parliament must set legislation that will mitigate against that.”

Drawing from the World Economic Forum’s data of countries’ readiness to embrace this revolution, he said according to it, South African sits in the middle of its table. “Our current standing is not good, but not yet bad. But we are ahead of other African countries.” 

But the council’s concern is the need to raise stakeholders’ awareness to harness its potential.

He said Parliament’s key role is to “formulate policy and enact legislation and to conduct oversight on the 4th IR issues that need ethical considerations”.

According to him, the key areas of focus by the state is the need to develop research capacity, innovative environments and public and private partnership models and institutions that will exploit the opportunities presented by the 4th IR.

On the concern about the loss of jobs due to the 4th IR, he said “mostly it is not about the loss of jobs, but about how the current jobs will change. It’s not doom and gloom, if this revolution is harnessed well, if will bring about economic growth”.

The Division Manager of Knowledge and Information Services, Parliament, Dr Leon Gabriel, stated unequivocally that the 4th IR would be disruptive. “The depth of its disruption will be exponential, it will be unlike any other revolution that came before it”.

It will also challenge the existing policies, hence Parliament would have to keep up with its pace and that would be more challenging for policy makers, he said. “The challenge is how policy makers will keep pace with its developments, which are rapid and disruptive.”

This calls for a need for agile governments or governance systems that have “policy makers that would come with policies that are adoptive, human-centred, inclusive and sustainable”.

But also it would make policy not a preserve of governments, nut of multiple stakeholders that would “define the governance of this industry: that would come up with sets of standards, protocols and institutions that would oversee them,” he said.

In this era the role of governments would be that of, what he called, super regulators. “They will authorise and evaluate these bodies to ensure that they achieve they adhere to regulatory prescripts.”

The Minister of Telecommunication and Postal services, Ms Stella Ndabeni Abrahams, said the role of Parliament in 4th IR is to ensure that it passes legislation that “does not prohibit the growth of this sector.”

If harnessed well, it has a potential to create employment and to contribute positively to our economy, she said.

But if it takes 18 months for Parliament to process a Bill, “will it be able to keep up with the speed of innovation and invention taking place in this field.”  

Among other things, this revolution will necessitate a change in our education system, she claimed. “This revolution will not find expression in various spheres of our society if our education system is not overhauled to be in line with its skills demands.”

But also we have to ensure that the technologies of the 4th IR are sensitive to the cultural dynamics of various racial groups, she added. “They should, for instance, appreciate the fact that things are done differently in Africa. And should recognise and embrace people of different race without prejudice.”

She said her department has resolved to holding dialogues once in every quarter to keep abreast of developments in various fields of the 4th IR to ensure that the country keeps up with the rapid pace of change in its various fields of research and innovation. 

Rounding off the presentations, Ms Maseko added that they have as a committee advocated for “1.5 % of the national budget to be dedicated to research and development and they will now advocate for a separate budget that will focus on 4th IR.

By Abel Mputing 
15 February 2019