As the global $400 billion artificial intelligence (AI) arms race heats up, HP Computing and Printing in the Middle East and Africa (AMEA) last week announced plans to establish dedicated competency centres around the region, to collaborate with customers on tailored AI use cases.
HP hosted a Future of Work event in Johannesburg, South Africa, where technologists and company executives, led by Ertug Ayik, HP VP and managing director, EMEA region, discussed the implications of AI in the workplace.
The company’s move comes amid unprecedented global AI infrastructure investment in 2025, with commitments above $400 billion, according to analysts.
In an interview with ITWeb Africa, Ayik highlighted HP's strategy for navigating AI in the EMEA region, hurdles to AI adoption, and the influence of AI on workplace productivity, among other topics.
He explained the company will enhance the AI capabilities of HP printers to improve their functionality and pre-emptively address potential issues, as well as focus on creating tailored solutions for clients based on their specific needs and workflows.
During the interview, Ayik pointed to three key trends: the rise of hybrid work, the influence of Generation Z and the integration of AI in the workplace.
He emphasised that hybrid work has become a standard expectation, with employees prioritising flexibility and fulfillment over salary.
AI is seen as a vital tool for enhancing employee engagement by automating routine tasks, allowing workers to focus on more meaningful activities, he said.
Addressing psychological barriers to AI adoption, he noted the common fear of job loss, asserting that AI can actually boost productivity and create new job opportunities.
The conversation also touched on the demand from chief information officers for specific use cases, leading HP to establish competency centres for pilot projects with customers.
Additionally, HP's strategic investments include an AI-enabled platform for managing endpoint devices and intelligent printers that integrate with digital workflows.
Ayik expressed optimism about the new solutions and the importance of competition in driving customer satisfaction, while also acknowledging the EMEA region's potential for growth.
He went on to explain HP’s strategy to garner a sizeable chunk of the EMEA market, saying: “HP is the only company that has the full portfolio that an end-user uses. We have our computing devices, we have our printing devices, we have our collaboration devices, meaning our headsets, our video bars, our conferencing room.
“So, when a user spends time in terms of doing their work and the tools they need, HP has this portfolio. We are bringing AI into all these devices, and they are not only designed to work seamlessly together, but they are also designed to understand how the user is working, and then change themselves accordingly.”
Detailing the challenges of AI adoption, he said: “So the first one, I think, is more psychological, as there is still a lot of people who are concerned or scared about AI. Is AI going to replace me? Is it going to cancel all these jobs? Is it going to create a problem for me, for my company? And that's understandable because every powerful disrupting technology caused similar concern.
“Electricity had it, the steam engine had it. When it came, what's going to happen? When the internet came, a lot of people were concerned that it will replace jobs. These technologies are impacting jobs, but it's also creating more new jobs that didn't exist before. And actually, it is enhancing people to do their jobs better.”
Ayik noted that CIOs are asking for use cases that are specific to their companies. “So, we have been creating competency centres across the region where we have certain, let's say, engineers who are working with customers to do pilots or use cases on their company. I think this is what most of the CIOs are looking for.”
According to Ayik, printing is also going through a transformation. “I think there is transitioning to the digital world. In the past, people used to print their photos. I don't think there's a lot of people [still] doing that. You know, everything is in digital.
“We see a much bigger transformation in the office space, so we're putting a lot of intelligence into our devices.
“On our printers, for example, they understand what you want to print and they format it accordingly so that you would get, usually when you print an Excel table, it takes a couple of versions before you get exactly what you want, right?
“Now the devices are intelligent so that they already format it in a way that you don't waste paper. Our devices are now coming with integration into our many digital workflows. You scan the paper and it goes automatically to the cloud.”
Share
