By Akani Nkuna
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has warned that unequal access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools risks widening inequality, with affluent communities benefiting while township and rural schools lag behind.
“AI is reshaping how we think and solve problems… but access and opportunity are not equitably distributed,” he said, adding that many communities remain excluded from its benefits.
Mashatile was speaking at the launch of a cutting-edge Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) laboratory and Centre of Specialisation at Gert Sibande TVET College in Standerton, Mpumalanga, on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, and Mpumalanga premier Mandla Ndlovu.
The centre aims to bridge the gap between education and industry by equipping young people with future-ready skills.
The initiative also forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the capacity of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college system.
Mashatile said the
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