The deputy minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Nomalungelo Gina, says South Africa’s first artificial intelligence (AI) robot will enhance education in the country by enabling learners to reach their full potential.

Gina was speaking in Durban on Tuesday at the launch of Iris, the AI-powered, first-of-its-kind robot in South Africa, designed to redefine learning experiences in the country.

According to the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, the robot can master all subjects from Grade R to tertiary level, in 11 of the country’s official languages.

Gina said this will not only be used to teach children at school, but it will also inspire them to become familiar with technology, especially in rural areas.

Iris is the brainchild of BSG Technologies, founded by Thandoh Gumede, who hails from the rural area of KwaMnqobokazi in Hluhluwe, KZN.

The idea to build Iris came to her while teaching maths and physical science at a local school, where she experienced several challenges.

The robot is equipped with software and a keyboard. It functions similarly to any AI tool that utilises deep machine learning, but it is multilingual. While tools like ChatGPT use text, Iris uses voice to respond to prompts.

With her digital innovation skills, Gumede has won several international awards and was crowned Miss Tech Universe 2024-2025 in Thailand.

Here at home, she is already taking South Africa by storm and is fondly called ‘Mamaka Iris’.

As South Africa celebrates National Women’s Month, the deputy minister reminded the audience that science has no gender, no geographical specificity and no look.

“Women must lead in shaping the future of science, innovation and fields like AI. These are the skills that will drive tomorrow’s economy, and they require contributions from both men and women.”

The deputy minister stated that it is the department’s mandate to support all emerging innovations and encouraged women and youth to take advantage of the department’s funding instruments, such as the Women in Technology and Innovation and the Grassroots Innovation programmes.

She emphasised the importance of leveraging technologies such as AI within the African context, highlighting the need for the continent to drive innovation and become a primary consumer of its innovations.

Deputy director-general for curriculum management and delivery at the provincial Department of Education, Mbongiseni Mazibuko, said maximising the full benefits of AI will require everyone to be on the same wavelength of preparedness, and with innovations like Iris, teachers must be equipped to harness these technologies.

“Technology is not here to replace teachers, but rather innovations like Iris will be part of the future of teaching and learning. We need to make our teachers ready for these technologies, and as a department, we embrace Iris,” said Mazibuko.

Gumede plans to introduce Iris to every classroom in South Africa by the end of October and stressed the importance of partnership with the private sector to help transform teaching and learning in the country.

“Iris does not belong to me. It belongs to every one of us in South Africa, and that is the reason we need partnerships to be able to do that,” said Gumede, quelling the fear that AI will replace teachers in class.

Rather, she believes that Iris will enhance learning and teaching in South Africa and help close educational gaps in the country, particularly in maths, science and technology.

The launch featured a demonstration of Iris answering complex questions from some of the learners attending.