Doha, Qatar: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) has unveiled the agenda for its highly anticipated ninth edition of the Hiwaraat conference series, “AI Uprising: Opportunities and Challenges for the Future of Work and its Impact on the Environment,” set for December 5 at Waldorf Astoria West Bay.
The conference, offered in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, will bring together leading voices in academia, technology, and policy to discuss critical issues affecting the nature of work emerging from two urgent challenges for the future of humanity: the environmental crisis, and the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Headlining the event is visionary space scientist Dr. Moriba Jah, Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin, who will be drawing from his extensive history with AI and machine learning to deliver an insightful talk on “Navigating the Ethics and Sustainability of AI.”
A leading voice in space security and sustainability, Dr. Jah is the director of Decision Intelligence group at Oden Institute, and Lead for Space Security and Safety at the Robert Strauss Center. He is also a former NASA spacecraft navigator, and US delegate to the United Nations Committee On Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
“With all the fear and uncertainty surrounding the development of AI, it is important to take time to hear from experts on the actual challenges we face so that we can imagine the ways in which we would like AI to transform the world for the better,” said conference co-organiser Dr. Santiago García-Couto, an Assistant Professor of Economics who studies how technology changes affect labor. “This conference offers a space to discuss the potential of AI, and the current barriers to its use for good.”
Another highlight will be a talk and performance by Quantum Balerina Dr. Merritt Moore, currently an Adjunct Professor of Practice and Distinguished Artist in Residence at NYU Abu Dhabi. A quantum physicist and professional ballet dancer, Dr. Moore is celebrated for her pioneering work on robot-human interaction and the creative uses of AI.
Their insights will anchor the conference’s exploration of AI’s profound impact on how we think and interact with the world, and what that means for how we work, the types of jobs we have, and the sustainability of our planet. Dynamic panel discussions will delve into the work impacts of A.I.’s role in energy transformations, climate impacts, and global equity, and the capacity of AI to drive innovation, promote humanity, and improve productivity and labour justice.
With anxiety around rising job insecurity and environmental degradation at an all time high, “AI Uprising” offers a fresh perspective on the future of work, identifying how opportunities and challenges presented by the advent of AI offer interconnected solutions that can transform our future for the better.
