Posts tagged digital transformation

When the Algorithm Knocks: France Faces the Future of Work

AI Economics France Technology & Innovation

« The future is already here — it’s just not evenly distributed. »
— William Gibson

A quick pulse-check

Indicator (2023-25)Latest figureSource
French jobs fully automatable≈ 5 %Sénat
Jobs partly exposed to AI, advanced economies40 %IMF
French workers who fear net job losses from AI75 %Labo
Finance teams already piloting or running AI58 %Gartner
Industrial-robot density, France (2022)180 / 10 000 workersStatista
Teachers using AI tools regularly≈ 20 %Le Monde.fr

The big picture: task take-over, not job wipe-out

France’s own Artificial-Intelligence Commission delivered a sobering — and surprisingly modest — number last spring: only one job in twenty is “directly replaceable” by current AI. The rest will merely be reshuffled, split or augmented. Global-scale anxiety persists, of course: the IMF puts 40 % of jobs in rich economies inside AI’s blast radius, meaning at least one core task could be automated.IMF Yet evidence from INSEE panel data shows AI-adopting French firms hire slightly faster than laggards, because productivity windfalls fund fresh roles in data, compliance and design. (Creative destruction is still creative.)

Sector by sector: who should sweat?

SectorTasks on the chopping blockNew (or rising) skillsCurrent tremor level
Finance & adminReconciliations, invoice coding, vanilla risk scoringData literacy, model oversight, client storytellingHigh – 58 % of teams already run AI; clerical head-counts inch down. Gartner
ManufacturingRepetitive welding, materials handlingRobot maintenance, OT-IT cybersecurityMedium-high – 6 400 new robots in 2023; density still half Germany’s. IFR International Federation of Robotics
HealthScan annotation, appointment triageInterpreting AI outputs, patient-side empathyLow – staff shortages mean augmentation, not cuts.
EducationMarking drills, drafting worksheetsDigital pedagogy, prompt-craftLow-medium – only 20 % of teachers use AI so far. Le Monde.fr
Media & creativeStock copy, basic illustrationCuration, narrative craft, IP savvyMedium – generative-AI tools flood studios; junior roles feel the squeeze.

Why the figures matter

  • Finance is already living through what McKinsey calls the “augmented-analyst” era: AI now cranks out first-pass pitch books; junior bankers edit rather than build. Clerical attrition is real, but the demand for model auditors and prompt engineers is rising even faster.
  • In factories, France’s relatively modest robot density (180 per 10 000) is a cue, not cause for comfort. If Paris wants to “ré-industrialiser” without exporting jobs to cheaper shores, cobots and predictive-maintenance AI are table stakes.
  • Hospitals fear burnout more than bots. Radiologists welcome the second pair of silicon eyes; nurses cheer paperwork-eating NLP.
  • Classrooms risk a digital divide within the staffroom: unless ministries accelerate the promised AI-literacy charter, the pupils will outrun their profs.
  • For journalists and designers, the genie is not going back in the bottle; French unions have already filed clauses limiting uncredited synthetic content.

What the state is doing — and should still do

  1. Scale training: government pledges to funnel France 2030 cash into nine AI clusters and to push CPF-funded micro-courses in data and model governance. Good — now publish an annual scoreboard of how many clerks, welders and editors actually switched careers.
  2. Audit the algorithms: the forthcoming EU AI Act will require bias-testing for HR and productivity tools. France could go further and give works councils a veto on opaque “boss-ware”.
  3. Reward augmentation, not redundancy: offer tax credits for AI deployments that raise per-worker output without shrinking payrolls.
  4. Target regional safety nets: an algorithmic risk-map (down to département-level) would flag which towns dominated by call-centres or fulfilment hubs need retraining subsidies first.

The bottom line

When the algorithm knocks, most French jobs will not be shown the door; they will be shown a new desk. The threat is less mass unemployment than mass redeployment. Whether that feels like liberation or displacement depends on politics, boardroom choices — and a national willingness to learn faster than the machines.

Africa’s Creators Are Clicking—but Not Yet Cashing In

Cultural Industry Economics

Why monetisation on digital platforms still fails to pay off on the continent

In a continent bursting with digital creativity, African content creators are mastering the art of storytelling, humour, dance, fashion and commentary—sometimes all in the same 30-second TikTok video. What they are not mastering, however, is monetisation. Not for lack of trying.

Take Nigerian YouTuber Tayo Aina, who once garnered over a million views with a viral video covering J. Cole’s concert in Lagos. His reward? A mere $132 from YouTube. Creators elsewhere would have earned ten times as much. The disparity isn’t due to poor content or lack of audience. The problem lies deeper—in the way digital platforms value (or rather, under-value) African traffic, and in the structure of Africa’s advertising economy.

Most global platforms—YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram—rely on advertising to pay creators. But monetisation tools are only partially available in Africa. YouTube Partner Programme is officially available in just 13 out of 55 African countries. TikTok’s Creator Fund doesn’t exist on the continent. Facebook’s ad-sharing tools are limited to a few North African markets. And Twitter (now X) pays creators through Stripe, a service largely unavailable in Africa.

Even when monetisation is technically possible, it’s rarely profitable. African creators suffer from dismally low cost-per-mille (CPM) rates. While advertisers in the US or Australia may pay $30 or more per 1,000 views, rates in Africa often hover below $5. Advertisers simply do not value African eyeballs the same way. That’s partly because few foreign brands see Africa as a priority market—and local businesses are not picking up the slack.

Why not? The vast majority of African businesses are SMEs or informal enterprises. Few allocate budgets for digital advertising. Many prefer traditional tactics: word-of-mouth, flyers, local radio. Others distrust online platforms or lack the digital skills to run targeted ad campaigns. Even for willing advertisers, payment barriers (like the absence of local currency billing or mobile money integration) make access difficult.

So, creators turn to brand partnerships, product placements and offline gigs. But even these have limits—especially when local brands lack deep pockets. The irony is painful: Africa has one of the world’s fastest-growing digital audiences, yet its creators earn the least.

What can be done?

First, digital education is key. Many SMEs remain unaware that digital ads can be precisely targeted and cost-effective. Training initiatives by Google, Meta and local NGOs are helpful, but must scale further. Second, platforms must adapt: accept mobile money, simplify interfaces, and expand monetisation tools continent-wide. Third, local success stories must be spotlighted—nothing converts sceptics like seeing their neighbours succeed.

Finally, a new generation of African creators is not waiting. They are inventing alternative models—private WhatsApp groups, affiliate links, crowdfunding, even virtual “tip jars” via mobile money. It’s a patchwork system, but it shows a continent finding its own monetisation path.

For now, African creators continue to hustle, entertain, and educate—often for passion more than profit. The platforms may not yet pay them what they deserve. But one day, perhaps soon, a young Kenyan TikToker will open her app and discover she’s made enough to fund her business, not just feed the algorithm.

And when that day comes, Africa’s digital creators will no longer just go viral. They’ll finally go viable.

Read more here : https://danydombou.fr/publicite-numerique-en-afrique-pourquoi-les-pme-nosent-pas-investir/