The conference showcased a wide range of robots, including one that dispenses wine. However, what I found most impressive was its ability to bring together AI professionals from all over the world, with speakers from China, the Middle East, and Africa. This included Pelonomi Moiloa, CEO of Lelapa AI, a startup focused on building AI for African languages. It is worth acknowledging that AI discussions often revolve around the US and are dominated by men, so any effort to make the conversation more diverse and global is commendable. However, I must admit that the conference did not leave me feeling confident about the role AI would play in advancing the UN goals. In fact, some of the most interesting speeches highlighted how AI could have negative consequences. Climate activist Sage Lenier stressed the importance of not allowing AI to contribute to environmental destruction. Tristan Harris, cofounder of the Center for Humane Technology, delivered a compelling talk on the interconnectedness of our addiction to social media, the financial motives of the tech sector, and our lack of learning from previous tech booms. Mia Shah-Dand, founder of Women in AI Ethics, also reminded us of the gender biases that still prevail in the tech industry. Although the conference aimed to focus on using AI for good, I believe there should have been more discussion on how to make AI itself a force for good, from its development to its deployment. For example, the conference could have addressed the need for increased transparency, accountability, and inclusion in AI processes. It was disconcerting to learn that generating one image with generative AI consumes as much energy as charging a smartphone.

Honest conversations on how to make the technology more sustainable to meet climate goals would have been valuable. Additionally, it was jarring to discuss how AI can reduce inequalities while using AI systems built on the labor of underpaid human content moderators in developing countries who encounter traumatizing content. The star speaker of the summit was Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who made the case for the "tremendous benefit" of AI. He was interviewed remotely by Nicholas Thompson, CEO of the Atlantic, which recently announced a deal for OpenAI to share its content to train new AI models. OpenAI, often credited with initiating the current AI boom, presented an opportunity to address these issues, but the discussion on safety remained vague and high-level. Altman's reassurances lacked specific details, expecting the audience to take his word for it. This conversation with Altman occurred shortly after Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member and researcher at the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology, revealed that the board discovered the launch of ChatGPT through Twitter and accused Altman of providing inaccurate information on the company's safety procedures. Toner has argued against allowing AI companies to self-govern due to the strong profit incentives that drive them. Altman, however, disagrees with her recollection of events. When asked about the first positive outcome of generative AI, Altman mentioned increased productivity, citing examples such as software developers using AI tools to expedite their work. He believed this would have a positive impact on various industries. However, the jury is still out on whether these claims hold true. Please continue reading The Algorithm for further insights. Deeper Learning Why Google's AI Overviews Get Things Wrong