European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the plenary session of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday that with the line between the virtual and real worlds becoming blurred, the new era of generative AI meant it was even more important that “our cherished” values should also be protected online as well as offline. Photo by Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA-EFE
The World Economic Forum kicked off in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday with world leaders expounding two different visions of the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence to global business.
In a special address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the greatest threat to the global business community over the next two years was not war or climate but disinformation and misinformation, with societal polarization a close second. Advertisement
“These risks are serious because they limit our ability to tackle the big global challenges we are facing,” adding that the worry was especially concerning in a year when half the world’s population would be voting in elections.
With the line between the virtual and real worlds becoming blurred, the new era of generative AI meant it was even more important that “our cherished” values should also be protected online as well as offline, she said.
Responding to AI being identified by the forum’s global risk report as one of the leading risks in the coming decade, von der Leyen warned that while she was a “tech-optimist” who believed the technology presented “a very significant opportunity,” it had to be developed and used responsibly. Advertisement
“Our future competitiveness depends on AI adoption in our daily businesses and Europe must up its game and show the way to responsible use of AI — that is artificial intelligence that enhances human capabilities, improves productivity and serves society.”
Von der Leyen said the bloc’s pending AI bill would provide the necessary “clear guardrails” to guide the development and deployment of AI at a Europe-wide level by building trust in” high-risk” sectors such as biometric identification, enabling firms to innovate all across the space.
However Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who spoke directly before her, was much more upbeat saying China believed that technology was a general good, although he caveated his endorsement by saying it must serve “the common good of humanity.”
“People love generative AI such as ChatGPT — but there is also surprise and some fear in some quarters about what it can do.”
Qiang warned that AI must be human-centred, to avoid having machines “controlling us,” which could only be assured by good AI policy and appropriate regulation.
He said AI must be inclusive and benefit all in society and called for the international community to join hands to solve the issues with AI and ultimately reap the mutual benefits. Advertisement
However, he also stressed that developing countries should get priority in accessing those benefits in order to narrow the digital divide with advanced economies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet with CEOs from global companies and deliver a special address at the forum later Tuesday as part of a visit to Switzerland to prepare for a global peace summit there.
