Dubai, UAE, November 19, 2024 - The sessions of the first day of the Knowledge Summit 2024 discussed inspiring ideas and visions about the future of artificial intelligence and its major impact on various aspects of life, the importance of harnessing technology to serve humanity, and the integration of the advantages of human thinking with the capabilities of artificial intelligence, so that AI-powered robots are employed to perform routine and healthcare tasks, enabling humans to focus on more complex tasks that require in-depth critical thinking.
In detail, a session titled “AI Meets HI: Who is Driving the Future of Technology” was presented, in which Monika Bielskyte, Futurist and Founder of Protopia Futures, and the advanced human-like robot Sophia supported by artificial intelligence participated. An engaging interactive dialogue demonstrated the extent of the development of robotics technology powered by artificial intelligence, particularly in analyzing inputs, emotional intelligence, expressing emotions, and decision-making processes. This communication between humans and machines opened new horizons for imagining a world in which advanced technological devices and AI-powered robots become integral to human societies.
The session “Opportunities in AI” presented by Dr. Andrew Ng, Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera and Founder of DeepLearning.AI, reviewed the latest applications of AI and provided a comprehensive vision of how it can be used to meet diverse needs, including improving medical diagnoses, understanding complex legal documents, writing texts and articles, autonomous driving, and safe manufacturing.
The session addressed the need to view AI as an effective tool that can accelerate the performance of many tasks, double productivity, and shorten time and cost. Dr. Andrew noted that vast opportunities remain for developing innovative applications to address emerging challenges faced by companies and governments while emphasizing the importance of adhering to responsible and ethical practices in this field.
The third session, themed ‘Policies Shaping AI-driven Economies,’ featured insightful commentary from Prof. Elizabeth Churchill, Professor and Department Chair, MBZUAI; Prof. Sana Khareghani, Professor of Practice in AI, King's College London; Walter Pasquarelli, Advisor, Researcher, and Speaker on GenAI Policy. The panel was led by Ron Young, Founder, of Knowledge Associates International Group.
The session explored the most important ethical and comprehensive policies that shape the AI economy, its impact on social and economic support programs, and employment practices. Participants reviewed mechanisms to drive continuous innovation and ways to achieve the best use of AI and its optimal investment to serve and develop societies.
The fourth session, titled “Quantum leap: The future of computing”, which was led by Marc O’Regan, CTO EMEA, Dell Technologies, discussed the progress made in quantum computing, its future expectations, and implications on various industries, in addition to exploring innovative applications of quantum computing and discussing the intersection between quantum computing and machine learning.
The fifth session was titled ‘AI and HI for Prosperity: Fueling Economic Growth and Social Change,’ and featured panelists Dr. Ayman El-Sherbiny, Chief of ICT Policies and Digital Development, ESCWA; Latifa Alshehhi, Director of Investment Data Department, Ministry of Investment in the UAE; and Carsten Snedker, Global Head of Business Development, Dynex Development Est. The session highlighted the growing potential of AI to shape industries and create new economic opportunities, as well as the steady growth in investment in AI startups and innovation hubs. Participants linked AI and human intelligence as twins to diversify economies and stimulate sustainable growth.
The closing session titled 'Utopias and Dystopias: Crafting the Future We Want' featured Riel Miller, Founder of Xperidox Consultancy; Dr. Reema Diab, Founder and CEO, Galaxy for Technology; Dr. Selina Neri, CEO, Dean, and Co-Founder of Institute for Future Readiness; and Monika Bielskyte, Futurist and Founder, Protopia Futures, and was moderated by Emine Yilmaz Butun, Founder and CEO of AccelerateEMEA. The participants reviewed the social impacts of artificial intelligence and the expected future scenarios in light of the growing use of this technology in various areas of life.
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