Global thought leaders converge for Singularity Summit in Sandton
Big Ideas and Bold Conversations as Summit Sparks Dialogue on the Future of Intelligence and Power of Innovation
The Singularity South Africa Summit 2025 started in Johannesburg today, with over 1 100 delegates in attendance in person and over 1 000 online. Hosted in collaboration with Old Mutual, the event brings the some of the world’s brightest minds together to explore the ways that innovation and exponential technologies can help future proof Africa. Now in its seventh year, the sold out hall of attendees were welcomed by Singularity South Africa Co-CEO’s Mic Mann and Shayne Mann, followed by a video welcome message by Singularity co-founder Peter Diamandis.
A full day of thought provoking keynote talks and panel discussions explored the cutting edge of AI, spatial computing, robotics, and digital transformation, giving delegates a glimpse into the technologies reshaping business, society, and human potential. From practical demonstrations to forward-looking insights, the Summit offered a unique platform for leaders to engage with global experts, exchange ideas, and consider how emerging innovations can be responsibly applied for real-world impact.
Some of the key learnings included the following:
Navigating Instability and Redefining Africa’s Economic Future
Opening the Summit, David Roberts reflected on the unpredictable nature of national disruption and its impact on business and society. Drawing from decades of studying conflict, he noted that instability often emerges from within nations rather than through foreign intervention, as seen in Myanmar and Sudan. He highlighted the potential consequences of a Taiwan–China conflict, given Taiwan’s dominance in advanced chip production, to illustrate global fragility.
Shifting focus to Africa, Roberts addressed South Africa’s low growth and the continent’s untapped potential, urging leaders to consider a shared currency between South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria to drive integration and stability. He stressed that technology could also tackle corruption and crime, while collective leadership is vital to retain young talent and rebuild trust. His key message was clear: Africa’s progress depends on courage, collaboration, and decisive leadership to turn volatility into long-term opportunity.
Human Centred Leadership for an African Future
Celiwe Ross, Director: Group Strategy, Sustainability, People and Public Affairs at Old Mutual shared that leadership needs to combine technology and empathy to uplift people in changing times. She explained that Old Mutual’s priority is to improve financial wellness for individuals, families, and communities through accessible tools that supported real life needs. Ross highlighted the important shift from selling products to forming trusted relationships that recognise customers as part of interconnected communities, guided by the African value of Ubuntu.
Ross advocated that African markets require solutions built for local realities, noting that by 2050 one in four people in the world would be African, many of which live and work within informal economies. Additional to the importance of investing in innovation, Ross emphasised that leadership success is defined by the positive change it inspires in others, keeping humanity at the centre of transformation.
Harnessing the Power of Cognitive Computing
Aaron Frank explored how cognitive computing is redefining the relationship between humans and machines. He explained that while traditional AI systems focus on logic and prediction, cognitive systems learn context, emotion, and intent, allowing for richer collaboration between people and technology. Frank reflected on how this evolution will impact industries such as education, healthcare, and finance, where human insight and machine intelligence can combine to deliver far more personalised solutions.
He encouraged leaders to view AI not as a competitor but as an amplifier of human capability, able to handle complexity at scale while freeing people to focus on creativity and problem-solving. Frank’s take-away for African innovators was that embracing cognitive computing can accelerate progress, provided ethics, inclusivity, and human purpose remain at the centre of innovation.
The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration
Anita Schjøll Abildgaard challenged delegates to rethink their relationship with AI, framing it as a creative partner rather than a tool. She shared insights from her experience developing AI systems that assist scientists in research, illustrating how machine learning can unlock new forms of discovery. Abildgaard emphasised that trust and transparency are essential for humans to collaborate effectively with AI, particularly as systems become more autonomous and influential in decision-making.
She argued that the future of progress depends less on building smarter machines and more on designing better partnerships between people and technology. Her closing thought was that Africa’s greatest opportunity lies not in replicating global AI models but in developing human-centric approaches that reflect the continent’s diversity, ingenuity, and values.
Evolving Intelligence: The Next Leap in AI Innovation
Ashley Anthony highlighted how evolutionary algorithms are reshaping innovation by allowing software to improve itself through digital “natural selection.” Drawing inspiration from Google’s Alpha Evolve project, he showed how this approach enables algorithms to outperform traditional models within days, creating unique, adaptive intellectual property for businesses. Beyond technical impact, Anthony underscored AI’s human value, freeing people from routine tasks to reclaim meaningful time in their lives.
His demonstration of an offline, low-cost exam-marking app for under-resourced South African schools illustrated how context-driven design can achieve real-world results. By evolving both technology and purpose, Anthony urged leaders to see AI not only as a competitive edge but as a tool to enhance human potential, balance, and wellbeing.
Designing the Intimacy Economy
Cathy Hackl explored how AI and spatial computing are transforming the way people connect, both with technology and each other. She described a future where AI agents, avatars, and spatial interfaces blend the digital and physical worlds, enabling deeper intellectual, emotional, and even spiritual forms of intimacy. Hackl argued that society is moving beyond the attention economy into an “intimacy economy,” where connection and authenticity define value.
She also addressed complex ethical frontiers, from AI companions to grief support and assistive technologies, urging designers to approach these spaces with empathy and care. Her vision placed humans, not machines, at the centre of innovation, calling for intentional design that enhances human connection rather than replacing it.
Africa’s AI Advantage: Bold Vision, Real Impact
Maureen Costello, Vice President of Google Cloud for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa, shared how Google’s near-complete $1 billion investment in Africa’s digital transformation is laying the foundation for AI-driven growth. From the Equiano subsea cable to the new Johannesburg Cloud region, she illustrated how infrastructure and access to advanced AI models like Gemini are empowering businesses, researchers, and students across the continent.
Costello outlined Africa’s opportunity to leapfrog legacy systems by embracing AI responsibly and collaboratively, with a focus on education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship. Her message was clear: Africa’s AI future depends on bold application, responsible governance, and shared partnerships that turn digital potential into inclusive economic progress.
Preparing for the Age of AGI
Peter Xing examined the economic and societal shifts expected as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) approaches, with experts predicting major breakthroughs before 2030. He discussed the dual potential of AGI, from abundance and productivity to disruption and displacement, and urged leaders to plan probabilistically across multiple futures. Xing outlined how AI is already transforming industries, driving automation, and redefining work, while creating new demands for infrastructure, governance, and ethical foresight.
He argued that survival and success will depend on adaptability, distributed energy and compute capacity, and human alignment at every level of innovation. His closing insight reframed AGI not as an endpoint but as a test of humanity’s ability to steer technology towards longevity, equity, and collective advancement.
Robotics, live in action
Adam Pantanowitz introduced delegates to a new generation of robotic colleagues: Maximus, a humanoid capable of complex industrial and service tasks, alongside two canine robots, Murphy and Mavis. Highlighting their practical and playful applications in logistics, security, and social care, he emphasized that these machines act as co-pilots, enhancing human capacity, safety, and creativity rather than replacing people.
The summit continues in Johannesburg on Thursday 23 October, with the event being screened concurrently, live in the UBU metaverse.
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