Anyhow, this is as much as I have to say.
Okay, wait, since I know that someone, and most likely the taxpayer, is going to get burned on this one if there isn't any due diligence. Ever since I read the first article about this on MyBroadband, I knew it was all nonsense because the product itself is a huge question mark, but I have seen this same form of PR with various products and services. Before getting into this again, something triggered me to post this.
The government is backing it,
Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Nomalungelo Gina has welcomed the launch of South Africa's locally developed IRIS AI Humanoid Tutor…
www.dsti.gov.za
Speech delivered by Deputy Minister Gina at the official launch of the IRIS AI Humanoid Robot Showroom and Manufacturing Plant at Dube Trade Port on 13 August…
www.dsti.gov.za
But then... It is also promoted by The Citizen (Caxton Local Media/Dundee Courier),
South Africa’s first AI-powered teaching and tutor robot, IRIS, has arrived at Ekuthuthukeni Secondary School to support learners.
www.citizen.co.za
AI-powered robot brings new hope to rural schools in Dundee area
...
Developed by KwaZulu-Natal innovator Dr Bonisiwe ‘Thandoh’ Gumede through BSG Technologies, IRIS is designed to support educators and learners from Grade R through to tertiary level.
...
At Caxton, every story is written by humans. We use AI only to perform quality checks - never to generate the news. Happy reading!
This is where I draw the line with what is on the face of it: misrepresentation. This is a PR build on mis- and disinformation. Media should never give such a campaign credibility. Maybe if they did use AI, it would have passed the quality check.
There are larger legitimacy concerns about IRIS. It is worth looking into where and why Iris was demoed at certain venues, especially where grants in India apply.
Ignoring the build of IRIS, Makerlabs is setting this up as a vehicle for emotional support for children, able to teach through empathy. Terrible.
The product itself is exaggerated. It exists to make a profit, quickly.
A series of editorials put IRIS up for display, including IT Web, HTXT (Hypertext) among others. There is a responsibility on the media, especially tech media (for this specific purpose), to dig deeper before promoting anything private or public (state-related).
It is a long list of media support for this project.
BSD and Technologies (???) is literally running a lottery (via voting) for schools to get an IRIS LAB (?), what is a LAB?
bsgandtechnologies.com
NATIONAL IRIS LAB Campaign
Vote for your desired school so they stand a chance to win IRIS LAB worth over R650k!
Below is the list of nominated schools to get the IRIS Lab.
who are funding these public schools? Those whom I pity the most are the students, because, constitutionally, funds made available for IRIS could be far better spent on them. I am quite sure that I will be forbidden from calling this a scam.
The question I have is: what is BSD's game in SA, and how does the Indian-based Makerlabs play into this, and where is our government backing coming from?
Just have a look at the BSG sales page for IRIS:
bsgandtechnologies.com
Just adding their FAQ too:
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to common questions about our project management tool. Learn more about features, pricing, and how to get started quickly!
Does IRIS replace our teachers?
Absolutely not. IRIS is designed to be a powerful tool for teachers. It acts as a teaching assistant that handles personalised practice, revision, and foundational explanations. This frees up our highly-skilled educators to focus on more complex, collaborative, and creative aspects of teaching, such as mentoring, leading group discussions, and inspiring critical thinking.
Is the content aligned with the South African curriculum?
Yes. IRIS is pre-loaded and fully aligned with the South African CAPS curriculum as its core.
What is the installation and training process like?
Our technical team handles all aspects of delivery, installation, and network integration. We then provide comprehensive on-site training for all relevant staff to ensure everyone is confident and capable of using the system to its full potential from day one. Ongoing local support is just a phone call away.
How is student data privacy handled?
We take data privacy extremely seriously. The entire IRIS ecosystem is fully compliant with South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)
This entire sales pitch is simulated. Vaporware at its finest.
Anyone is welcome to dig into Makerslabs social media. Just go to their Instagram and vet all of this.
The roadshow pitch... it is a lobby show. The proof is in the claims they have already made.
