Last November, our web developer, Martin Choquette Scott, flew to Lisbon, Portugal, to take part in the Web Summit, a digital mecca bringing together over 70,000 participants from the four corners of the globe. The event, reputed to be the world's largest technology event, featured captivating discussions on artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing. All this, fueled by the presence of over 2,600 innovative young companies.
Today, we share with you some of the thoughts that have accompanied Martin since his return home.
1. Legitimate concerns, despite remarkable advances
Opinions on the implications of AI for our daily lives, and on the growing role these technologies will play in the years to come, are coming from all sides. While many are optimistic about its benefits, it's important to point out a few caveats relating to ethical considerations, regulatory frameworks and AI governance that were highlighted during many of the presentations made at the Web Summit.
One of the key moments of the event was the presentation by Meredith Whittaker, former Google employee and President of Signal Foundationwho shared his apprehensions about the lack of democratization in the field of AI.
"I think my fears are less about the technology itself and more about the fact that it's being developed and controlled by a small number of large corporations whose interests are, of course, corporate interests, namely profit, growth and shareholder satisfaction, not necessarily social good," said Whittaker, who also co-founded the‘AI Now Institute.
"The AI they're selling, they're enabling, they're creating, they're deploying requires huge amounts of data, requires huge amounts of computing power and effectively reinforces and extends the surveillance business model, which is at the heart of so much of the world's concern about unaccountable technology."
On the other hand, artificial intelligence is helping to drive promising innovations, particularly in the healthcare sector. For example, MediRapp AG is transforming ultrasound diagnostics by automating everything from data collection to diagnosis and reporting. With AI, MediRapp makes the whole process faster, more accurate and more efficient, in addition to dramatically improving patient care. It's an excellent demonstration of how AI can process almost limitless amounts of data and provide analysis that enhances the quality of results and aids better decision-making.
2. The rise of the Internet of Things
Whether it's a watch, a household appliance or a car, connected objects are and will be increasingly present in our daily lives. Artificial intelligence has started a profound transformation of the Internet of Things, accelerating the number of applications for these connected devices. The fact that your refrigerator will soon be able to prepare your shopping list and transmit it to the shopkeeper so that it's ready on Saturday morning is impressive in itself.
However, one of the most impressive innovations was the future of linguistic interaction. Unbabelan AI company offering translation services. The latter has unveiled a new project called Unbabel Halo, a wearable device of predictive artificial intelligence and biological sensors to help individuals communicate via their thoughts. In a presentation, Vasco Pedro, the organization's co-founder and CEO, demonstrated how the device works in real time, taking questions from the audience and then responding via WhatsApp message displayed on the large screen, without ever typing or speaking.
This type of technology opens up dizzying horizons. Not only does it promise to facilitate communication between people speaking different languages, but it could also become a valuable tool for those with severe language difficulties. In fact, the company is planning to develop the device for patients with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and other physical disabilities, so that they can talk to their loved ones after losing their ability to speak or move.
3. Education, a blind spot?
The arrival of artificial intelligence in education has given rise to debate and questioning, both in terms of plagiarism and the errors that can emanate from the technology without the user's knowledge. Nevertheless, many believe that we need to prepare students to use this tool - since we won't always be able to prevent its use - by integrating it into teachers' practices.
Divya Gokulnath, company co-founder Byju's, said he had seen "a positive disruption of AI in education over the years", refuting the idea that technology is smarter than a pedagogue trained to master it.
At its best, AI is an excellent support tool for a teacher, for example. This is because the AI assistant has the potential to take over routine tasks that need to be done, so that she can concentrate on teaching students and learning fundamental (or fundamentally human) skills.
Artificial intelligence, a technology that now seems firmly established, is as revolutionary as the arrival of the Web a few decades ago. Given that children are learning at an incredible speed, teaching them how to use this tool to better master its modalities now seems a must.
