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uNLoCKINg the PoteNtIaL: harNeSSINg aI-drIveN StrategIeS to foSter SuStaINaBLe INNovatIoN IN eNvIroNMeNtS ProNe to CrISIS
Marago, j.L.
Department of Political Science and International Relations, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Orcid: 0009-0008-5426-6652 www.linkedin.com/in/lebogang-johannes-marago- 4a1359326
Correspondence: lebogangmarago7@gmail.com
abstract
South Africa is currently undergoing substantial changes which perilously affect its economy. Some factors that are a threat to the economy include lack of power, increased crime rate, poverty, national security threats, economic instability, political uprisings and environmental degradation. These correlated problems stall development, requiring an innovative resolution. This paper seeks to identify the ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle these challenges through the transformation of important sectors: energy management, the justice system, unemployment and governance. In South Africa’s worsening crises, traditional means for managing emergencies are not sufficient – hence call for advanced technologies like AI. The main purpose of this study is to investigate how AI-based solutions could promote sustainability by boosting innovations while improving crisis handling, thus providing information that would be useful to policymakers and stakeholders as well as practitioners. This study pools together and examines empirical data from various academic sources using desk- based research methodology. It is based on secondary data to evaluate the effects of AI on strategic areas while avoiding face-to-face interactions and focusing on data-driven insights. The paper provides a comparative analysis of global best practices in AI application to crisis management and sustainable development through systematic literature reviews as well as meta-analyses. Predominantly, the outcomes point out that AI could immensely enhance energy administration through resource use optimisation, demand prediction, as well as renewable energy systems enhancement, thus minimising dependence on fossil fuels. Regarding criminal justice,
AI may simplify the process of spotting threats, make for efficient intelligence analytical processes and build upon cyber-security so as to ensure public safety. Furthermore, new industries can be created through AI, addressing unemployment issues, as it could also revive existing sectors and afford reskilling in various professions. Besides
this, good governance is achievable using AI since it creates more transparency, thus minimising corruption, which helps in political instability management. Apart from these functions, this new technology enhances resource monitoring for environmental conservation while playing a supportive role in healthcare by improving disease detection as well as emergency management functions. The research recommends that national AI policies should be adopted by South Africa in order to respond to present and forthcoming problems, thereby promoting a future that is more adaptable, inclusive, and sustainable.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), crisis management, economic stability, environmental conservation, public innovation, sustainable development
Introduction
South Africa is a nation with immense potential, yet it faces significant challenges that threaten its progress towards sustainable development. These challenges include a wide range of crises, from energy shortages, rising crime rates, high unemployment, and national security threats, to economic instability, political turbulence, environmental degradation, and public health emergencies. These issues not only dominate the national agenda but test the very foundation of the country’s ability to innovate, develop, and sustain its growth. As these crises become more complex and interconnected, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into public systems emerges as a promising solution for addressing them more effectively and innovatively.
Since the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has made tremendous progress towards democratisation, economic growth and social development (Mosala et al. 2017, p. 330). Nonetheless, these prominent gains are often undermined by unremitting and new crises. The instability of Eskom, the national electricity provider, leads to an energy crisis that induces frequent power outages, thereby hindering economic activities while eroding public confidence in the government’s capacity to deliver essential services. In addition, the reliance on coal as the main energy source causes further environmental degradation, which hinders transiting towards sustainable energy regimes (Muller 2023). AI can play a crucial role here by optimising energy management, predicting peak demand, enhancing renewable energy systems’ efficiency and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels with their consequent negative effects on the environment.
56 | Proceedings of the conference on Public innovation, develoPment and sustainability