Are we sacrificing ethics for efficiency? In this engaging webinar we explore the ethical challenges of AI in CX and BPO. 

Moderated by internationally recognised industry analyst Rod Jones, this session brings together five prominent leaders in AI and IT to discuss: 

• Can AI decision-making ever be truly unbiased? 

• How do we balance automation with genuine human empathy? 

• What are the ethical risks of workforce reductions driven by AI? 

Our panel includes Francois van der Merwe (Otinga.io), Greg Serandos (African Academy of AI), James Guthrie (Smartz Solutions), Elvis Melia (Meliacred), and Johan Steyn. 

Together, they share their perspectives on innovation, technology adoption, and the future of AI-driven solutions. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with industry experts, gain practical insights, and shape the future of ethical AI adoption. 

Key Discussion Topics:

1. AI Ethics in the African CX and BPO Context

• • Strong consensus that job creation remains the cornerstone of ethical AI adoption in Africa.
  • Several panellists, including Johan Steyn and Elvis Melia, explored the challenge of AI displacing versus evolving roles in the contact centre and BPO sectors.
  • African markets show slower AI adoption not due to resistance, but due to infrastructure and readiness gaps.

2. Regulation, Policy, and Governance

• • Greg Serandos and Elvis Melia contrasted the EU’s strict AI regulation (EU AI Act) with Africa’s more experimental, unregulated approach.
  • Concerns were raised about whether Africa is importing ethics frameworks from the Global North without adapting them to local context.
  • Johan Steyn pointed out the ineffectiveness of South Africa’s enforcement of POPIA as a warning for future AI regulatory efforts.

3. Bias, Privacy, and Data Sovereignty

• • Deep concerns around algorithmic bias, especially in speech analytics and sentiment detection tools used in CX.
  • Francois van der Merwe emphasised privacy, transparency, and fairness as the “Big Three” of AI ethics.
  • James Guthrie warned of LLMs inheriting developer biases and the challenge of protecting proprietary client data.

4. AI and the Future of Work

• • Panellists agreed we’re currently in a transitional phase, with AI acting more as a job enhancer than replacer.
  • Elvis and Greg debated whether we’re on the brink of a ‘Klarna moment’—that sudden leap in automation displacing jobs at scale.
  • The concept of individuals becoming “AI managers” or “one-person teams” supported by virtual agents was raised as a likely future scenario.

5. Education and AI Literacy

• • Johan Steyn challenged the current schooling model and passionately advocated for AI-integrated, hyper-personalised education tailored to culture and language.
  • “Just because we can, should we?” emerged as a defining phrase for ethics in AI—a call for constant questioning and responsible use.
  • Universities were criticised for lagging behind technological developments; outcome-based, skills-driven learning was strongly endorsed.

6. Customer Experience vs. Manipulation

• • The potential for AI to manipulate customer behaviour through hyper-personalised engagement (e.g. predictive prompts or emotionally resonant outbound calls) was flagged as both a technical marvel and an ethical minefield.
  • Johan, Elvis, and Francois explored the line between helpful automation and coercive influence in CX environments.

7. Inclusivity, Access, and Social Good

• • The need to build AI for the “barefoot child in Soweto” was a moving theme highlighted by Johan.
  • Greg shared a positive use case of a Kenyan woman using ChatGPT in her native language—enabled by Starlink and solar tech—highlighting the democratising power of AI.
  • A recurring call to design AI that solves local problems, not just scale global solutions.