Investec Investec Focus Radio SA

What Next? | Reclaiming the future from the algorithm

Loading player...
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping economies, societies and power structures yet much of the conversation has swung between uncritical optimism and existential fear. In this episode of What Next? We explore how leaders can reclaim agency over the future of AI, ensuring it serves human progress rather than narrow commercial or political interests. Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation; philanthropist, technologist and advocate for human-centred AI, in conversation with hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn, argues that the real challenge is not whether AI will become uncontrollable (this is the realm of Sci-Fi), but whether societies can adapt quickly enough to its social, economic and cultural impacts. He makes the case for shifting the focus away from hype and dominance towards participation, institutional imagination and moral courage and for designing AI systems that restore human agency and democratic participation, while supporting inclusion and long-term resilience.
Chapters
  • 00:00 From Tech Optimism to a Vacuum of Meaning
  • 08:45 Power, Participation and the Social Contract
  • 18:45 Institutions, Markets and Shared Ownership
  • 29:30 Leadership, Moral Courage and a Participatory Future
18 Mar English South Africa Business · Investing

Other recent episodes

No Ordinary Wednesday | South Africa’s race to get connected

South Africa’s digital infrastructure is expanding rapidly, from data centres and fibre networks to satellites. But can the country provide the power, capital and regulatory certainty needed to turn digital investment into lasting growth? On No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Investec CIB’s Louise Pillay, a telecoms and media…
23 Sep 19 min

Investec Minds Ep 4: Chris Griffith on leading mining through crisis

In conversation with Head of Investec Equity Research Nkateko Mathonsi, former Gold Fields CEO Chris Griffith reflects on the high-stakes decisions that shaped his mining career, from investing through downturns to balancing business survival with its human cost. In this episode: 00:00: Introduction 01:08: A $1bn ambition for Africa 02:28:…
21 Sep 32 min

Macro Monday ep 132: Central banks on a hiking path

The Fed hiked rates last week amid resilient economic growth and higher inflation, much of it due to higher fuel prices at the pump, while the Bank of Japan also increased borrowing costs, with more likely to come. South Africa’s Reserve Bank is likely to follow suit this week, as…
21 Sep 6 min

Macro Monday Ep131: Fed meets as oil prices rise

Gains by Houthi rebels in recent days have placed further upward pressure on oil prices, with benchmark rates up about 3% on Monday morning, while bond yields have risen since the start of the war. Against this backdrop, the Fed meets this week to decide on interest rates, and, according…
14 Sep 8 min

No Ordinary Wednesday | The signals from oil, bonds and inflation

Oil, bond yields and inflation are sending a more cautious signal on the global outlook. Growth has held up better than expected. But energy markets remain tight, long-term borrowing costs are rising, and central banks are weighing the risk of another inflation shock. In the latest No Ordinary Wednesday, Ellie…
8 Sep 17 min
All episodes