A.I. Uprising: Opportunities and Challenges for the Future of Work and Its Impact on the Environment Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay December 5, 2024

Can AI be harnessed to save the world?

The next wave of technology is here—and it is changing everything. A.I. Uprising, the ninth edition of Georgetown University in Qatar’s (GU-Q) Hiwaraat series, will explore how humans can direct Artificial Intelligence (AI) to sustainably reshape industries and the workforce, enhance well-being, and protect the planet’s future. 

Despite AI’s obvious potential benefits, there are clear and present costs. For every boost in productivity, workers are displaced and skills become obsolete. For every green job created, energy demands surge and environmental trade-offs intensify. How then do we navigate this wave of technology to meet the needs of humans and the planet?

Over the course of the conference, participants will hear the voices behind the breakthroughs and the minds challenging them. From academics to CEOs, policymakers to radical thinkers, GU-Q will host an extraordinary range of perspectives from around the world, with an emphasis on Africa and Asia.

Through keynote addresses, high-level panels, and concurrent sessions, participants will examine how to direct the smartest tech in the room to act with conscience and explore ways of harnessing AI’s potential without leaving humanity behind.

The clock is ticking, and the stakes could not be higher. Join the dialogue that illuminates what is next.

Agenda

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Safwan Masri
Dean Georgetown University in Qatar
9:30 – 9:45 AM

Keynote Address 1
9:45 – 10:30 AM

Speaker TBA

SESSION 1: The Ethics of AI in Our Geopolitical Context
10:30 – 11:30 AM

AI presents the global community with profound ethical challenges, from increased geopolitical and economic stratification to the near-term exacerbation of climate harm. Among other issues, panelists will address ethical regulation of AI to secure the moral goal of a genuinely just energy transformation and jobs revolution

Moderator: Dr. James Olsen, Environmental Ethicist, Georgetown University in Qatar
Dr. Georgios Dimitropoulos, Assistant Professor of Law, Hamad bin Khalifa University 
Dr. Sahana Udupa, Professor of Media Anthropology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität

Break
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM

SESSION 2: Promoting Sustainable Development
12:00 – 1:00 PM

Faced with a current global “polycrisis,” much of the hype around AI relates to its incredible potential to improve humanity’s condition, as well as facilitate and hasten other innovations as a means toward global flourishing.

Moderator: Dr. Raha Hakimdavar, Senior Advisor to the Deans of GU-Q and Earth Commons, Georgetown University
Dr. Moriba Jah, Professor of Aerospace Engineer and Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Saurabh Mishra, Founder and CEO of Taiyō.AI
Dr. Alessio Terzi, Economist, European Commission
Dr. Muez Ali, Research and Policy Associate, Earthna

LUNCH
1:00 – 2:00 PM

KEYNOTE ADDRESS 2
2:00 – 2:45 PM

Dr. Moriba Jah – Professor of Aerospace Engineer and Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas at Austin


SESSION 3: Innovation to Improve Humanity
2:45 – 3:45 PM

Faced with a current global “polycrisis,” much of the hype around AI relates to its incredible potential to improve humanity’s condition, as well as facilitate and hasten other innovations as a means toward global flourishing.

Moderator: Doug Little, Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Georgetown University
Dr. Mohammad Hammoud, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar
Rika Nakazawa, Vice President NTT Data
Hakan Ozdemir, Siemens Qatar and CEO at Siemens Middle East, Smart Infrastructure

Break
3:45 – 4:00 PM

SESSION 4: AI and Labor Market Transformation
4:00 – 5:00 PM

AI is eliminating and creating new jobs. Its potential is also clear when it comes to jobs re-skilling, reducing drudgery in work, and helping policy makers to design economies to better benefit workers and citizens.

Moderator: Dr. Alexis Antoniades, Professor of Economics, Georgetown University in Qatar
Dr. Emmanouil Chatzikonstantinou, Assistant Professor of International Economics, Georgetown University in Qatar
Dr. Pawel Gmyrek, Senior Researcher, International Labor Organization
Salim Al-Barami, Strategic Planning and Digital Transformation Advisor, Ministry of Labour, Qatar

Performance & Talk by Dr. Merritt Moore
5:00 – 5:45 PM

Closing
5:45 – 6:00 PM

Cocktail Reception
6:00 – 6:45 PM

The agenda is subject to change

Please direct questions to Dr. Santiago García-Couto and Dr. James Olsen.