AI minister calls for wise use of data
OMAR AL OLAMA URGES DECISION MAKERS TO ADDRESS TECHNOLOGY ILLITERACY
Omar Al Olama urges decision-makers to address technology illiteracy |
Countries need to focus on “responsible development of technology and usage of data,” in order to benefit humanity, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, told the audience during the opening session of the UN Date World Forum at Madinat Jumeirah on yesterday.
The forum’s second edition taking place from October 2224,was attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Bringing together nearly 2,000 data leaders from more than 100 countries, the forum is hosted by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA), with the support of the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
In a panel discussion titled ‘Harnessing the power of data for sustainable development,’ Al Olama addressed the importance of technology literacy amongst leaders, decision makers and the public, highlighting its role in using the power of data to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals.
“The biggest issue we are facing today is technology illiteracy and lack of awareness. Many countries are not investing in collecting data and many decision makers don’t understand what these AI systems are capable of or how to deploy them,” he said. The first minister of AI in the world called on decision makers around the world to practise responsible development and inclusion when it comes to gathering and using data and AI, describing it as a “collaborative responsibility”.
“The new challenge countries are facing today is the shift from natural resources to data -- the more data a country has the wealthier it is,” said Al Olama.
AI can eradicate TB
Meanwhile, Al Olama went on to explain that AI could also be the key to eradicating tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest disease.
He said the office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence in the UAE Government is working on an algorithmic solution that can be used in the detection and diagnosis of TB from chest X-rays.
“You can upload any image of a chest X-ray and the system will identify if a person has the disease. The algorithm determines the probability of Pulmonary TB infection,” he explained.