How AI is reshaping the world's business realm

Event summary

May 13, 2024 • 11:37 a.m. ET

How AI is reshaping the world's business realm

by
JP Repetto

April 25th^ththe Atlantic Council's WIN Fellowship will host a panel discussion exploring the anticipated impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the global business environment and how AI-driven strategies are transforming industries around the world. I emphasized.

Panel moderated by Stephanie FalconiUSAID's Emerging Technology Advisors featured four experts working at the forefront of artificial intelligence integration in their respective fields.Speaker included Hayashi ShujuDirector of AI Global Business Advisory, Marriott International. Jeffrey SchaeferHead of Responsible AI and Chief AI Ethics Advisor at Booz Allen Hamilton. Wafa Ben Hassin, Head of Responsible Technology at Omidyar Network.and Aisha SarkaData and AI Manager at Accenture Federal Services.

The conversation spanned a wide range of topics, with speakers drawing on technology expertise from a variety of fields to touch on best practices for AI integration in enterprises, the role of AI in addressing societal challenges, and responsible development and deployment. Ta.

Main points

Wafa Ben Hassin He began the panel discussion by explaining that in order to harness the transformative power of AI for good, society should guide the development and deployment of AI. Generative AI is one of the most promising technologies to emerge since the Industrial Revolution, and humanity must adopt a holistic approach to managing its growth. She suggested implementing guardrails developed by both civil society and technical experts to reduce AI risks.

Based on this theme, Hayashi Shuju The focus shifted to the practical aspects of AI in business and discussed the conditions necessary for companies to effectively utilize AI. He noted that business maturity often drives successful AI integration, as exemplified by banks like Chase, which has long employed machine learning and data science experts. Companies implementing AI often need to complete some necessary up-front work, such as cleaning up datasets. Rin He asks companies looking to adopt AI whether the technology is aligned with their industry and whether their company has reached the maturity level needed to take full advantage of AI. I advised him to consider it.

Jeffrey Schaefer We then criticized the top-down approach to managing generative AI, suggesting that it hinders its transformative potential. He advocated a more decentralized approach that would allow employees to customize his AI tools to suit their specific needs, arguing that this could significantly improve productivity. . Centralized instructions and procedures on how to use technology are likely to be less effective than simply putting technology into as many hands as possible and allowing employees to adapt the technology to the idiosyncrasies of their individual jobs. It is believed that employees will find the most efficient way to integrate his AI tools into their workflow and radically improve their productivity. but, Schaeffer He also acknowledged the need to introduce strict guardrails to prevent problems such as leaks of confidential information.

Highlighting the importance of a mature approach to AI, Aisha Sarka I agreed with my co-panelists about the need for decentralization. Speaking about the public sector, he noted that end users want both trust and responsibility to be integral to AI. He says one of the challenges that can arise when working with public sector partners is not being able to train models with extensive internet exposure. Circa It highlighted the public's desire for trust and accountability in AI applications, especially in sensitive areas.

Further explore the broader implications of AI; Hayashi Shuzhu They responded positively to the role of AI in addressing important policy challenges such as sustainability modeling. For example, sustainability modeling is an area that can successfully leverage AI's strengths in moving through large datasets, discovering patterns, and modeling scenarios. Still, she wondered if humans could adequately utilize the capabilities and insights provided by AI. Schaeffer He added that AI is the greatest public policy tool ever invented. Although counterintuitive, biased data can have a beneficial impact on policy improvement. He pointed to the discovery of a link between zip codes and race in the United States as a clear bias that can be actively exploited. Thinkers need to address how AI can make society more perfect without expecting perfection from AI.

Toward the conclusion of the discussion, Wafa Ben Hassin We revisited the theme of AI speed and connectivity and suggested that AI has the potential to revolutionize public policy engagement. She foresaw an opportunity to leverage that collaborative capacity in the public policy arena by helping citizens engage more effectively with government and improving inefficient bureaucracies. However, she cautioned against introducing AI into high-risk areas without appropriate safeguards. Governments such as France, which recently pledged to use AI to improve public services, oppose the use of AI in situations where failure would cause tangible harm, such as criminal justice or social security issues.

Aisha Sarka reflected on how AI has facilitated syndromic surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic and shared a positive outlook. She cautioned her own excitement, pointing out the general need to understand local contexts to identify social and public health interventions.

Ben Hassin We advocated for diverse participation and provided three frameworks for promoting inclusion within technology companies and public institutions. Inside Out allows a diverse staff of employees to understand potential harms, problems, and needs. and a feedback loop between his two previous frameworks that takes into account the changing scope of impact on different communities as technology evolves.

meanwhile, Jeffrey Schaefer He argued that AI could repair the nation's social cohesion by improving interactions between Americans and their government. The rise in populism, anger, and dissatisfaction in the United States is not surprising, given that many Americans' point of contact with their government is over complaints about potholes, the Department of Transportation, or the Internal Revenue Service. Schaeffer He pointed out that using AI to more efficiently meet people's needs at the national level can restore trust in government and halt the deterioration of America's social fabric.

lastly, Aisha Sarka He highlighted the disparities in technology education in the United States and advocated for an educational campaign to better inform the public about AI. The average person probably doesn't fully understand how AI works. Therefore, educational campaigns about the technology would be valuable. Hayashi Shuju Finally, he highlighted the ongoing debate about the role of AI in society, pointing to the practices of Anthropic, a company focused on ethically aligning AI with human values.

Way forward

The rapid evolution of AI is transforming businesses, changing operational frameworks, and setting new benchmarks for efficiency and innovation. AI is proving to be a key driver of growth, enhanced decision-making, and competitiveness in a dynamic market environment by automating routine tasks and analyzing vast data sets to derive actionable insights. It has been. However, the proliferation of this technology poses both known and unknown risks, as well as questions about ethical governance and AI implementation.

Recent research shows that sectors such as manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare are at the forefront of AI adoption, seamlessly integrating AI solutions into their core operations. Companies with experience in machine learning and data management are especially equipped to take advantage of the full potential of AI. Nevertheless, any business can move forward by decentralizing the use of AI and allowing employees to decide how best to implement his AI in their specific roles. To address these changes, multi-stakeholder guardrails involving civil society, technical experts, and policy makers are essential to ensure that AI developments align with society's values ​​and needs. Businesses need to assess their AI readiness and customize tools to meet operational demands and improve productivity. Meanwhile, the public sector should focus on AI applications that increase efficiency without compromising safety. Additionally, continued education at all levels of society is essential, along with public awareness campaigns that shed light on the capabilities and limitations of AI.

From a policy and social impact perspective, AI must be leveraged to analyze data for informed policymaking. Proactively addressing and leveraging data bias can lead to the improvement of society. Including diverse groups in the AI ​​design and development process is important to avoid marginalizing vulnerable communities, and ensuring that AI technology evolves in response to society's needs requires regular evaluation is required. By taking this comprehensive approach, we can harness the benefits of AI responsibly and ethically to promote societal well-being and stimulate economic growth through active governance and inclusive practices. Masu.

JP Repetto I am a Young Global Professional in the Atlantic Council's Middle East Program.

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