The AI Frontier: Society, Ethics, and Our Future
Zurich, Switzerland
Oct. 31. 2024
Date: Thursday, October 31, 2024
Time: 12:45 - 14:15 CET
Location: Online via webinar
Webinar Registration: https://lu.ma/89cj7udq
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Background
The AI Frontier: Society, Ethics, and our Future is a thought-provoking webinar hosted by Singularity Academy and SwissCham Asia, designed to explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence in our society. The event will feature distinguished speakers from leading tech and business sectors who will discuss the societal impacts of AI, ethical considerations, and future opportunities. Join experts from Bloomberg, Coupang, VU Amsterdam, and AI Career Accelerator as they share insights on navigating the challenges and potential of AI, and its implications for innovation and employment.
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Opening and Welcomed by
Prof. Dr Ying Zhang, Singularity Academy
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Speakers:
Dr. Urs Lustenberger, President, SwissCham Asia
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Mr. Jachin CHENG, Product Management Director, Coupang, Seoul, South Korea​
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Ms Salama Belghali, Founder and CEO of AI Career Accelerator, Switzerland
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Mr. Alex de Vries, PhD researcher, Vrije University Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Panel Discussion
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​Closing up by Prof. Dr Ying Zhang
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About the Speakers
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Jachin Cheng leads product management as Director of Coupang in Korea. He has worked at Google for over 17 years until May 2024 in Mountain View, London, Zurich and Singapore, his last role at Google AI being focussed on AI offerings in various fields of Google’s ecosystem. His expertise is in the formulation and delivery of large scale AI and ML strategies. Jachin is also a venture investor primarily in technology companies in the US and Asia. He graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a BA in Computer Sciences and holds and MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
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Salama Belghali founded the AI Career Accelerator, helping professionals transition into AI careers. She also founded Women in Web3 Switzerland, an NGO with over 800 members. With 20 years of experience in financial products and trading, half in leadership roles, Salama has been featured in Forbes and recognized as a Top Voice in AI & Blockchain on LinkedIn. She holds a MSc in Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciencefrom ENSIMAG and an MSc in Financial Mathematics from the University of Warwick. In 2024, she launched the Women in Web3 Global Summit in Davos during WEF.
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Alex de Vries is a PhD researcher at the VU Amsterdam Institute for Environmental Studies and the founder of Digiconomist, a research company dedicated to exposing the unintended consequences of digital trends. His research focusses on the environmental impact of emerging technologies and has played a major role in the global discussion regarding the sustainability of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence.
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Our Speakers
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Summary:
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October 31, 2024 – Singularity Academy, in collaboration with SwissCham Asia, recently hosted an insightful webinar, “The AI Frontier: Society, Ethics, and Our Future.” The event brought together prominent experts to explore AI's rapid advancements and its impact on society, sustainability, and regulatory landscapes, offering a platform for open dialogue on AI’s transformative potential and its ethical implications.
Jachin Cheng, Product Management Director at Coupang, began the session with a comprehensive overview of AI’s journey—detailing its historical evolution, current applications, and anticipated future breakthroughs that promise to reshape industries and everyday life.
Salama Belghali, CEO of AI Career Accelerator, focused on how AI can empower individuals in their daily work. She highlighted the role of AI in making complex tools accessible to professionals, enhancing productivity and decision-making in various fields, and underscoring the transformative potential of AI when integrated thoughtfully into daily business practices.
Alex de Vries, PhD researcher at VU Amsterdam, raised crucial environmental considerations, discussing the sustainability challenges posed by AI’s growth. He advocated for responsible development to ensure that AI’s ecological footprint remains manageable and compatible with long-term environmental goals.
Dr. Urs Lustenberger, President of SwissCham Asia, discussed the need for thoughtful AI regulation, noting that the industry’s prevailing “more is better” approach contrasts with sustainability’s guiding principle of “less is better.” His perspective highlighted the importance of balanced regulations that support both innovation and ecological harmony.
Singularity Academy Fellow, Tuck Seng Low, expanded on the conversation by contrasting AI development scenarios in the Global North and South. Seng emphasized that empowering individuals and communities from the ground up might be a sustainable approach for nations to develop an AI framework suited to their unique needs. This bottom-up approach, he suggested, could foster a more adaptable and resilient AI ecosystem.
The session, moderated by Prof. Dr. Ying Zhang of Singularity Academy, concluded with a thought-provoking dialogue on the ethical boundaries of AI. She challenged the panelists to consider AI’s limits and potential societal dilemmas, prompting discussion on the appropriate boundaries AI should observe.
This Singularity Academy webinar emphasized the organization’s commitment to facilitating meaningful discourse on AI’s role in society and the shared responsibility of guiding its future to benefit communities worldwide.
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