President Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday opened a major gathering of more than 150 leading scientists to help set the stage for the upcoming World Governments Summit (WGS).
The UAE leaders were on hand as the three-day World Laureates Summit - featuring Nobel Prize winners and recipients of a number of prestigious scientific awards - put the growing influence of advanced technology under the microscope.
Experts at the event, held in Dubai's Madinat Jumeirah, told how artificial intelligence could "take control of 98 per cent of everything" by 2050 - and be as hard to overthrow as a government.
As a precursor to Dubai's annual WGS event that begins on Tuesday, scientists gathered to discuss pressing issues around AI and how it should be applied.
Although a Terminator-style conflict with AI was unlikely, scientists said, they did expect the technology to evolve into an indispensable aspect of everyday life.
Prof Whitfield Diffie, an American cryptographer who revolutionised digital security by developing the foundation for modern internet commerce, HTTPS, said there was reason to be positive over its influence.
"Artificial intelligence is already tremendously useful,” said Prof Diffie, who is a 2015 Turing Award laureate, known as the Nobel Prize of computer science.
“Given what is invested, unless there's some amazing error that doesn't show, we are going to find it much more useful in each succeeding year.
"People like having things done and AI is incredibly obliging. A significant number [of AI programmes] are detectably wrong, but at the present rate, sometime before 2050, AI will be doing 98 per cent of everything.
“Suddenly you will find that trying to throw them out is like trying to throw the government out. AI will be doing this huge range of things that you need, so you are stuck with it.
“I don't think there's going to be a fight with AI or anything like that, we’re just going to adopt it until we discover there isn't any alternative.”
Robotic handcuffs
Prof Diffie said Asimov's Second Law of robotics would help protect humans from the rise of AI.
The law states that a robot must obey orders given to it by a human, except when such orders would conflict with the First Law, which prohibits injuring a human.
Such guardrails create a hierarchy where obedience is mandatory but safety takes precedence over obedience.
“That would be a very nice concept, except as far as I can see we're not [even] vaguely going in that direction,” said Prof Diffie. “We’re now arguing about whether autonomous drones should be allowed to kill people without referring to higher authority.”
Also speaking at the summit was Dr Stuart Haber, a pioneering cryptographer widely recognised as a co-inventor of the blockchain, a digital stamp that secures data integrity.
His latest project aims to stop AI driven deepfakes and impersonation scams from permeating the online world.
SureMark Digital focuses on proving that a person or piece of content is authentic, rather than trying to detect if a media item is fake.
Deepfake spotter
Instead of using AI to scan for artefacts in videos, SureMark uses public-key cryptography to verify the identity of a speaker in real-time.
Users can then send a challenge message to verify if the person on a video call, phone call, or message is who they claim to be.
“There is a need for global co-operation in regulating AI,” said Dr Haber. "This should be an international effort but unfortunately international co-operation is in trouble.
“Fortunately, there is something that technology can provide ... the use of cryptographic tools to provide proofs of provenance. The biggest benefit to Ai is improved science and technology.
He added: "AI helps all of us as scientists and engineers to do our work but it’s hard to predict what this may do decades hence.
"The biggest challenge is how it can be used for all sorts of nasty purposes. What worries me is the great proliferation of deep fakes, scams and the poisoning of our social environment. It's so bad that much of the world no longer shares the desire for truth that underlies most of the science.”
UAE minister honoured
The UAE President conferred the Order of the Union, one of the country's highest civilian honours, on Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and chairman of the World Governments Summit, during the opening of the summit.
The award was in recognition for his efforts to advance government work and his contributions to the development of the nation.
Sheikh Mohamed praised the minister for setting a distinguished example of public service. Mr Al Gergawi thanked the UAE leader and spoke of his pride at receiving the medal.
Mr Al Gergawi had earlier highlighted the crucial role of the World Governments Summit, which was first held in 2013.
“Given its significant influence on global intergovernmental dialogue, the World Governments Summit serves as an unparalleled hub for science-based solutions and innovative strategies designed to drive transformation in the face of mounting global challenges," he said.
"By convening over 60 heads of state and government and their deputies, alongside more than 150 government delegations and thought leaders, the summit embodies the strong human resolve to collaborate in shaping a better future for all.”
