Wang Yang

Opinion | Transformative AI era must be handled with wisdom and responsibility

The advancements in the coming era of AI hold the promise of great benefits but also potential dangers which must not be ignored

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Pedestrians pass a window of a hotel at the Davos Promenade in Davos, Switzerland, on January 15. Artificial intelligence’s great promise must be balanced with an assessment of, and preparation for, its effects in the labour market and wider society. Photo: AP

Wang Yang

Published: 4:30pm, 26 Jun 2024

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is ushering in a new era where machines can learn and perform tasks that were once the sole domain of human beings. We have seen remarkable progress in areas such as computer vision, robotic control and, more recently, generative AI and large language models (LLMs). These advancements have revolutionised how we interact with technology, enabling machines to generate humanlike text, images and more.

At last month’s Computex 2024 conference, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that “everything we can learn, we can now generate”. He also unveiled the company’s Earth-2 project – an open platform which accelerates climate and weather predictions with AI, assisting people in anticipating extreme weather-related risks and mitigating their impact.

We are entering a new era where generative AI is transforming our world in ways unimaginable not long ago. The future promises a landscape where AI-empowered computer programs and robots perform tasks traditionally undertaken by humans.

Humanoid robots such as Atlas and Optimus already possessed advanced capabilities that are not merely matching but surpassing human abilities in some aspects. This technological revolution is dramatically altering the future of work, highlighting the urgent need to reimagine education and skill development for the next generation.

What does AI advancement mean for the future of education and our society? The need for profound changes to our education system to empower young people to thrive in the new era and tackle the challenges that come with it has never been greater.

Farewell to HD Atlas

Many facets of our current education system might appear outdated amid the rapid advancements in AI. For instance, budding innovators who can unleash their imagination and possess a deep appreciation of the arts will surpass those who solely hone basic skills. This shift extends beyond innovators; anyone aspiring to excel in their chosen field will need these interdisciplinary skills.