Public sector 1
Forget tech buzzwords, focus on problem-solving, accountability and good governance
At the recent BCX and Brainstorm roundtable, executives spoke about the tenants of technology evolution and how political will and clear strategies can be a catalyst for digital development.
05 June 2026
Senior executives and industry leaders from the Free State province recently gathered at the BCX and ITWeb Brainstorm executive roundtable, hosted at Leopards and Lace in Bloemfontein. The roundtable was held under the theme: “The core shift from automation to autonomy agentic-AI and digital trust”. MC Andile Lunga Stofile kicked off by boldly stating that AI has increasingly become the new technology buzzword, much like the era where 4IR was referenced by many, including politicians. He made this comment to emphasise that principals might get to a point where they view AI as a tool to impress and just as a “by the way, we also have it”.
To avoid this, a few things need to happen and the most important is demystifying AI, so that it’s not viewed as a mythical tool but something that must be communicated to fellow citizens. As the brains-trust with the strategic and technical knowledge, Stofile asked executives to address the accountability debate. If AI and AI agents can make decisions that impacts citizens, who’s ultimately accountable – is it the system, the department or the political leadership?
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