By Sheetal Soni
Dr Sheetal Soni is a senior lecturer in the School of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She holds LLB, LLM and PhD degrees and is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
Her expertise spans international humanitarian law, reproductive rights and bioethics, with a focus on emerging biotechnologies, gendered harms in conflict and South Africa’s role in international legal forums.
Dr Soni says: “Financial inclusion should be understood as a tool to redress entrenched inequalities, particularly those based on gender, geography, and digital divides, and as a tool to empower marginalised communities to fully participate in the economy on fair terms. In this context, the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into financial systems requires urgent and thoughtful attention.
“AI is already reshaping the world of work, automating jobs, redefining skills and in some cases exacerbating inequality by replicating existing biases in algorithmic decision-making. Ministers must ensure that AI is developed and deployed ethically, transparently, and inclusively.”
Dr Soni’s under-reported topics are:
Emerging technologies, reproductive technology and health technology,
South Africa’s role in international legal matters.
