AI Without Job Losses: A Different Growth Story
Afternoon Drive with John Maytham · 3 June 2026 · 8m
Speaker 1: Now for our first interview today, I want to chat to a local company that Speaker 1: is really challenging some of the prevailing fears about artificial intelligence. You know, the global Speaker 1: conversation here is often dominated by the fear that AI is going to replace human Speaker 1: workers. But a South African family run manufacturer is pushing a quite different narrative, one Speaker 1: where technology actually helps protect jobs rather than remove them. And to tell us more Speaker 1: about why they're doing it this way and how it's working. I'm really thrilled to Speaker 1: have with us on the line, Jonathan Shapiro, who is the CEO of LESC Now. Speaker 1: They are a third generation electrical products business and recently made the decision to partly Speaker 1: automate their production lines driven by AI. The catch, though, is that they did so Speaker 1: in tandem with a promise to their workforce. No permanent jobs will be cut and Speaker 1: none of our vulnerable workers will lose their workspace because of the business's decision to Speaker 1: modernize in this way. Jonathan, it's great to have you with us this afternoon to Speaker 1: tell us a little bit more about why you chose to go this. Thanks for Speaker 1: joining us, Thanks paper, thanks for having me the pleasure. It's not just any old Speaker 1: vulnerable workers. Either in the case of your particular company. I know you've made a Speaker 1: very deliberate point of employing a large percentage of people with disabilities and people coming Speaker 1: out of very vulnerable communities where job prospects are limited. Maybe we need to start Speaker 1: there. Can you just briefly describe to our audience…
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