At the recent Web Summit Qatar, the session ‘The AI Moment’ offered an in-depth exploration of AI’s evolving role and its broad implications. Moderated by Julia Sieger of FRANCE 24, the panel included Mohamed Al-Hardan from the Qatar Investment Authority and Sachin Dev Duggal of Builder.ai.
Sachin Dev Duggal provided a retrospective on AI’s development, informed by his work at Builder.ai. He reminisced about landmarks such as Google’s BERT model, introduced ten years ago, and highlighted 2022 as a year of significant evolution, characterised by advancements in technology and design that made AI more user-friendly.
In the wake of the Qatar Investment Authority leading Builder.ai’s Series D funding round, Mohamed Al-Hardan discussed the strategic underpinnings of their investment. He lauded Builder.ai for its role in expediting the development process and its early engagement with AI, while also emphasising the criticality of in-depth due diligence for AI’s successful deployment. Al-Hardan pointed to the trend of AI startups proactively tackling AI’s potential challenges and their desire to be at the forefront of technological progress.
The conversation then shifted to the topic of AI and employment, with Duggal and Al-Hardan offering insights beyond the usual discourse on job obsolescence. Sachin Duggal envisaged a future where individual worth is linked to creative output rather than repetitive tasks, altering conventional employment notions. Al-Hardan agreed, underscoring the necessity for ongoing learning to navigate the AI-integrated future successfully.
On the matter of AI governance, the speakers addressed the complex ethical and regulatory landscape surrounding AI’s advancement. Al-Hardan expressed concern over the risk of inhibitive over-regulation, advocating for collaborative efforts between regulators and technologists to bridge their knowledge gap.
The session concluded with a shared emphasis on the need for educational reforms to ready the next generation for an AI-centric world. Sachin Dev Duggal highlighted the critical role of incorporating human-centric skills like creativity and adaptability into educational programs, ensuring their applicability to a range of scenarios.
The session, enriched by the insights of Sachin and Al-Hardan, delved into the human, ethical, and duty-related aspects in the age of AI, highlighting the critical need for focusing on human-centric AI innovation.
