AI is a generational transforming technology, but there are boundary considerations

Where exactly are we today on the technology innovation curve for artificial intelligence? Does it matter? Although few seem to agree whether we’re still at the early stages of innovation, or whether we’ve already crossed over into early adoption, most agree that AI will bring us a new level of business, social, and political transformational changes unlike we’ve seen since the Industrial Revolution. 

It’s hard to ignore the meteoric rise of the hype and promise associated with AI and how it will impact—and to a great degree is already impacting—our lives. This is the foundational notion that led to the creation of the Ai4 Conference, and how its organizers have curated the content and focus of this event.

The Ai4 Conference was established in 2018—a mere 6 years ago, but it seems like ancient history. It began as a small event at a boutique hotel in Brooklyn, NY, with around 300 attendees, mainly data science enthusiasts looking to share early successes and challenges of this burgeoning technology. Over the years, it has grown to become one of the leading AI conferences globally. In 2024, the conference, held in Las Vegas, attracted 5,000 attendees, 150 exhibitors, and 350 speakers. It now serves as a major platform for AI professionals across various industries to share ideas, explore advances, and network. 

It was no coincidence that the first three keynote speakers were chosen to level-set the audience and set the tone for how we should consider, portray, and debate AI and its impact on today’s economy and society. AI isn’t just another tool for business to leverage to improve operational efficiency and become more profitable. There are broader implications to consider.

In the first hour of the conference—we were off and running. 

First up, Geoffery Hinton, the “Godfather of AI.” The British-Canadian computer scientist helped advance AI, but he has become outspoken about the dangers of such powerful technology in the hands of bad –actors. The use of such tools without enforceable legal and social boundaries can potentially do more harm than good. The problem was right there in the title of his talk, “Navigating the Future of AI: Ethics, Alignment, and Responsibility.” Although Hinton was quick to share recent advances that continue to make AI learning “more human” and efficient for computers, his emphasis was squarely on whether the world is truly ready for such innovation. The capabilities of AI are advancing far more rapidly than the bounding ethics and responsibility that lead to good behavior and benefits. 

To counterbalance Hinton’s cautionary message, Matt Wood, VP of Products at AWS, represented the nothing-but-upside approach that business executives and board members in the audience were eager to hear. The title “Supercharging Generative Tech” set the stage for how he and AWS view AI for business. This view postulates that AI is here and that it’s just a matter of how fast your organization can adopt, scale, and apply AI that determines whether your organization remains competitive. AI is already ubiquitous, already of proven value. Are you getting the most from it? 

Andrew Yang, entrepreneur and politician, rounded out the opening salvos by getting the audience to consider AI’s inevitable reshaping of politics, government, and society. It ‘s already evident that white-collar jobs are being effectively displaced by AI. clerical, administrative, paralegal, retail, and customer service are examples of positions that are being replaced by AI, not just because of cost, but increasingly because of superior performance. Blue-collar manual labor jobs are less affected, so far. This situation is already leading political parties to take positions on which demographics they will champion, in which districts they must craft specific messaging to portray the advances of AI. In forward-leaning, entrepreneurial jurisdictions, the message would be pro AI. In regions focused on manufacturing and other blue-collar sectors, the message would focus on job protection and legislation.

The Ai4 Conference does a very good job of representing the technical, social, and economic considerations associated with AI. Are you a business executive or a board member looking at AI to advance the scale and profitability of your business? A government or legal worker wanting to understand how AI is affecting society and looking for insights into what social and legal frameworks and boundaries need to be put in place to govern this emerging technology wave? Or are you among the original data science and computer nerds who are still working on advances in the science of AI?  

The conference offered plenty of talk tracks by renowned speakers to deepen your knowledge or support your position. And for many of us, it was an excellent opportunity to learn and reflect on AI and the broader implications we face with the next generational transformation technology.

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