The Web Summit Qatar’s ‘The AI Moment’ session offered an engaging exploration of AI’s expansive influence, moderated by Julia Sieger of FRANCE 24. The discussion featured Mohamed Al-Hardan from the Qatar Investment Authority and Sachin Dev Duggal of Builder.ai, who provided their expert insights.
Sachin Dev Duggal, drawing from his profound journey with Builder.ai, charted the course of AI’s evolution, highlighting seminal moments such as the debut of Google’s BERT model a decade ago. He emphasised that the year 2022 marked a pivotal shift, characterised by both technological advancements and significant design enhancements that democratised AI, making it more accessible to the wider populace.
Following the Qatar Investment Authority’s lead in Builder.ai’s Series D funding, Mohamed Al-Hardan shed light on the strategic considerations that guided their investment. He commended Builder.ai for its role in expediting the development process and its anticipatory stance towards AI, underscoring the necessity of thorough due diligence to ensure AI’s efficacy. Al-Hardan lauded the foresight of AI startups in confronting AI’s challenges and their commitment to technological leadership.
The discourse on AI’s impact on the job market broadened to encompass views that transcended the typical discourse around job elimination. Sachin Duggal envisioned a future where individual worth is defined by creative endeavors rather than repetitive tasks, thus redefining traditional employment models. Al-Hardan reinforced this perspective, highlighting the imperative for ongoing adaptation in an increasingly AI-infused environment.
In discussing AI governance, the panelists delved into the ethical and regulatory complexities that accompany AI’s rapid proliferation. Al-Hardan voiced concerns over the risk of stifling innovation through over-regulation, advocating for a collaborative approach between regulators and technologists to mitigate the widening knowledge gap between these essential constituencies.
The session concluded with a collective call for reforms in education to better equip the next generation for the AI-dominated landscape of the future. Sachin Dev Duggal stressed the importance of embedding human-centric skills such as creativity and adaptability in educational curriculums, ensuring their applicability across diverse situations.
The conversation, enriched by the contributions of Sachin and Al-Hardan, ventured into the human, ethical, and responsibility dimensions in the age of AI, emphasising the indispensable role of prioritising human values in the evolution of AI.
