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

The most significant applications of AI are often unseen by users. The critical debate around artificial intelligence (AI) is shifting from capability to impact. Dané Liebenberg, AI Executive for Retail and Business Banking at FNB, said the focus is increasingly shifting from what AI can do to how the technology is applied to customer service, business operations and decision-making. What AI can do “The era of asking what AI can do is rapidly being replaced by a more important question: what real difference can it make?” Banks have used AI, machine learning and advanced analytics for years in areas such as fraud detection, risk management and customer service. However, Liebenberg says the emergence of generative AI has expanded the technology’s potential applications. “We are moving from systems that analyse and predict to systems that can understand, create, reason and assist in real time.” Focus She said organisations are increasingly embedding AI into customer and employee workflows rather than limiting its use to specific processes. “The focus is no longer on automating individual tasks, but on creating more intuitive, responsive and personalised experiences that help people make better financial decisions and achieve better outcomes.” According to Liebenberg, some of the most significant applications of AI are often unseen by users. “Often, the most impactful AI is the least visible. Rather than asking customers to adopt something new, it works behind the scenes to make existing journeys simpler and faster.” Administrative tasks She said AI is also being used to streamline routine administrative tasks and improve employees’ access to information. “The most successful organisations will not be those that use AI simply to automate work, but those that use it to augment human capability.” Transparency Liebenberg said governance, transparency and accountability will remain important considerations as AI becomes more widely adopted. “Responsible AI is not an afterthought; it is a foundational requirement for sustainable adoption.” She added that organisations will increasingly be assessed on how they apply AI to address practical challenges and deliver measurable outcomes. Responsible AI Responsible AI has come under sharp focus after the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) delivered, in May, a blunt account of why South Africa’s Draft National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy was withdrawn. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi pulled the policy after AI hallucinations fabricated fictitious references, including academic citations, journals and authors that simply don’t exist. Malatsi declared that only a full reset could protect the integrity of such a critical policy area.