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Business Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN firms should consider the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help improve efficiency in their business operations.

This was said by Craft Properties (Pvt) Ltd Director, Professor Kudakwashe Taruberekera, after attending the Dubai Leadership and Entrepreneurship Conference held in December 2023 hosted by MasterMinds Business School, United Kingdom.

The Dubai Leadership Conference, which sought to inspire and empower leaders to lead with confidence and distinction, was attended by a wide spectrum of professionals, including Government Ministers.

Ambassadors, Chief Justices, Speakers of Legislatures, Chief Executive Officers of reputable corporations, and leading entrepreneurs from across the globe were also in attendance.

According to Prof Taruberekera, the AI helps in improving productivity, as it automates repetitive and mundane tasks, allowing human workers to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their jobs that leads to improved productivity and efficiency in various industries, contributing to economic growth under vision 2030 mantra.

When deployed responsibly, AI has the potential to significantly improve economic growth and development in countries.

Some schools of thought say the implementation of AI in business highly improves efficiency in business operations although it has a negative impact since it reduces the number of employees as most of the work will be done by machines.

“There is a much talked about topic of Artificial Intelligence in which most organisations worldwide are taking its implementation seriously.

“If we do not take issues like the advent of AI seriously we will be overtaken by events as it is now the in thing worldwide. Look at how virtual meetings have helped people to discuss important issues without necessarily traveling to physical meetings. This helped a lot in reducing costs and time of traveling,” said Prof Taruberekera.

According to Prof Taruberekera, Artificial Intelligence is now taking over in almost every business sector including mining, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.

He exhorted local entities to use AI to enhance their brand visibility and operations.

“People should understand the use of new technologies. There is a widespread misconception of the use of technologies in Zimbabwe. For instance, in some countries, Facebook is used by companies to market their products and services whilst in Zimbabwe people use it for gossip and comedy. We need to embrace new technology in business and ensure that we effectively utilise it for the benefit of our organisations,” he said.

Switching to issues of governance, Prof Taruberekera further emphasised that the time had arrived to have transformational leadership in business given the great dynamics experienced in business these days.

He said there was a need for collective effort to ensure that people in companies’ critical positions are equipped with the necessary skills to enhance the way they manage and relate to their subordinates at workplaces.

“What we learned is not just meant for our personal development but should be disseminated to other businesspeople in Zimbabwe so that they also improve their leadership skills. This is very important in rewiring organisations for greatness to ensure the sustainability of every organisation.”

“It is important that organisations like MasterMinds Business School, United Kingdom are recognising businesspeople from Zimbabwe and inviting us to come for conferences of this magnitude.”

He said the conference provided an exclusive opportunity to revolutionise the way leaders and their teams approach leadership.

Prof Taruberekera was also elected a fellow of MasterMinds Business School UK having satisfied the requirements for admission and in recognition of competence in Leadership and Management Strategies and outstanding performance as a Professional Fellow.