The AI for Good Global Summit 2024: Shaping a Transformative Future with AI

The AI for Good Global Summit 2024 took place in Geneva, uniting thought leaders and innovators across diverse sectors to explore the revolutionary potential that artificial intelligence (AI) holds. Among the notable speakers was Sasha Rubel, Head of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Public Policy, EMEA for Amazon Web Services (AWS). Rubel offered insightful perspectives on how AWS and its clients harness AI to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlight the necessity for responsible AI practices, and envision the future integration of AI into society.

Rubel opened her discussion by illustrating how AWS clients are effectively leveraging AI to promote the SDGs in a variety of impactful ways. Her examples ranged from enhancing vertical farming techniques to combat hunger, reducing gender bias in job advertisements, to quantifying speaking opportunities in media to support gender equality. She also underscored the transformative role of AI in healthcare, facilitating personalized medicine and propelling clinical research forward. Furthermore, Rubel emphasized AWS’s partnership with the University of Padova to develop personalized education using generative AI and their initiatives to aid households in managing energy consumption while accessing affordable renewable energy sources.

Addressing the critical theme of responsible AI, Rubel stressed that a sense of responsibility is deeply embedded in the core values of AWS. “For us, responsibility is seen as the responsibility of all the actors inside our company,” she noted.

AWS employs a comprehensive four-part strategy to ensure that responsible AI principles are deeply integrated into both their services and the support provided to their clients: operationalizing principles, promoting diversity, offering educational resources, and advancing research.

Operational Principles: The primary focus is on embedding foundational principles such as transparency, explainability, accountability, and privacy into their offerings. Rubel explained that AWS dedicates substantial resources to shift from principles to practical implementation, offering guidelines for incorporating these values into their services.
Diversity: Another vital aspect of AWS is its commitment to diversity. Rubel highlighted that varied teams are crucial for driving innovation and achieving higher returns. Their team comprises philosophers, lawyers, and ethicists, reinforcing their dedication to equity among genders and diverse backgrounds, thereby ensuring a comprehensive approach to AI development and deployment.
Education for Responsible AI: Recognizing the importance of education in fostering responsible AI practices, AWS launched the AI Ready Commitment, providing over 80 online courses designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to engage with AI responsibly. “We ensure that individuals within our company, our customers, and citizens at large are equipped with the necessary education and skills to understand AI as a technology and how to develop and apply it responsibly,” Rubel stated.
Research: Research is pivotal for promoting responsible AI advancements. “The field of AI is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and we recognize the new risks and challenges posed by generative AI,” Rubel noted. AWS is committed to fostering collaboration among industry, civil society, and academia to further the science behind responsible AI.

When discussing the broader implications of AI on society, Rubel expressed optimism that AI will revolutionize various domains, particularly in achieving the SDGs. “We are convinced that AI will transform every dimension of society,” she remarked.

A recent report commissioned by AWS revealed that global citizens anticipate significant effects of AI on health, education, gender equality, and poverty alleviation within the next five years. However, Rubel identified three major barriers to AI adoption: regulatory uncertainty, a lack of digital skills, and the disparity in AI adoption between large and small companies. She observed that regulatory ambiguity inhibits AI investment, with companies planning to allocate up to 48% less over a three-year period due to these uncertainties. To address this issue, AWS advocates for regulatory frameworks like the G7 code of conduct and initiatives from the UN and OECD.

The second barrier concerns the lack of digital competencies. Rubel reported that 61% of businesses recognized this as a significant hindrance to AI implementation, with employees eager to acquire new skills but finding training costly and time-consuming. AWS’s dedication to offering accessible, self-paced learning resources aims to bridge this gap and empower employees to enhance their skill sets.

Finally, the third barrier is the discrepancy in AI adoption rates: 51% of larger companies have embraced AI, compared to only 31% of smaller enterprises. To combat this challenge, AWS actively supports startups and the innovation community, providing the necessary tools for AI-driven advancements.

In conclusion, Rubel highlighted the transformative potential of AI and the necessity of overcoming obstacles to its implementation. Her insights shared during the AI for Good Global Summit underscored AWS’s dedication to utilizing AI for the greater good, emphasizing responsible practices, diversity, education, and research. Through addressing critical challenges and advocating for innovative solutions, AWS aims to unlock AI’s power to benefit society at large.