Creating a Bolder Digital Future Together

MBZUAI President, Professor Eric Xing participated in a panel discussion at GITEX/AI-Everything, the Middle East’s flagship technology conference. The panel discussion, titled: “Creating a Bolder Digital Future Together,” focused on the future of artificial intelligence (AI), a need for further developing ethical guidelines to govern AI, and the overall impact of AI on human society. Joining Xing on the panel were renowned MIT Professor, AI scientist, and member of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees, Daniela Rus, and Dr. Seth Dobrin, Global Chief AI Officer at IBM.

“Something that would take a human years to sort out can be done by an AI algorithm in a fraction of the time. But, there are also clear limitations. When it comes to abstract reasoning, when you encounter something new for example, humans are far superior,” said Xing.

The second half of the panel was directed by the question “Are we creating the human race’s greatest and last accomplishment?” and focused on AI singularity; the theorized moment when machines will be able to solve novel problems faster than humans. Referred to as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the moment of AI singularity has been referenced, revered, and feared since computers first proved to be better than humans at computation – in the first half of the 20th century.

The speed at which AI has delivered results has fueled a growing sense among experts that it is a tool that will radically change all aspects of human society. As electricity, computers, and transistors were instrumental to the preceding eras of growth and prosperity, AI might well usher in the next one—a fourth industrial revolution.

“AI is a truly transformational technology, and its development is a continuous process. Behind any AI-driven transformation, there is a complex combination of technology, policy and evolving societal needs, which ensures it never reaches the singularity point,” Xing said.

Though AGI is believed by many experts to be achievable within our lifetimes, and despite some experts warning of runaway AGI, the consensus among the panelists was that AI powered applications will reap enormous rewards for the countries, companies, and individuals that use it.

“Ultimately, it is not AI advancement alone that drives adoption but a combination of multiple factors. By leveraging AI’s immense potential, we can inspire positive progress, and bolster social and economic growth,” Xing said.