President of Colombia warns against excessive use of artificial intelligence
In his speech on Wednesday, Urrego emphasised the exponential growth of AI and its potential to disrupt labor markets, displace millions of workers, and exacerbate social and ethnic tensions.
He warned that without proper regulation, AI could lead to widespread job losses and increased global migration, particularly as climate change renders vast regions uninhabitable.
Drawing a direct connection between AI and the climate crisis, Urrego cautioned that if AI-driven productivity increases reliance on fossil fuels, the planet could face catastrophic environmental collapse, displacing up to 3 billion people by 2070.
He called for a paradigm shift in global governance, arguing that the traditional nation-state model is insufficient to address these interconnected challenges.
He proposed the creation of a global, multilateral public authority to regulate AI and manage the climate crisis, emphasizing the need for humanity to act as a unified political entity.
He stressed that the digital accumulation of knowledge in the cloud must be governed by global public oversight, rather than private interests or national regulations, to prevent economic and social catastrophe.
The Colombian leader stressed the importance of fostering human creativity and freedom to counterbalance the mechanized nature of AI.
'The only way to fight against artificial intelligence is through creation,' Urrego noted.
He asserted that only genuine human innovation can prevail against the risks posed by automated systems, urging governments to prioritize policies that protect workers and promote sustainable development.
Urrego's address concluded with a call for urgent action, warning that failure to address these challenges could lead to a crisis of overproduction, environmental exploitation, and unprecedented global displacement. His speech underscored the need for a new era of international cooperation to ensure the survival of humanity and the planet.
Held under the theme 'Shaping Future Governments', this year's summit convenes over 30 heads of state and government, more than 80 international and regional organizations and 140 government delegations. Its agenda features 21 global forums exploring major future trends and transformations, over 200 interactive sessions with more than 300 prominent speakers—including presidents, ministers, experts, thought leaders, and decision-makers—and over 30 ministerial meetings and roundtables attended by more than 400 ministers.
Under the theme 'Shaping Future Governments', the summit will continue until 13th February.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
a day ago
- The National
The UAE's business story is missing important chapters
The UAE is a nation that spends a lot of time thinking about its future, and a global byword for ambition. Its airports are international hubs, its universities are rising in world rankings and its IPOs are increasingly making headlines. These transformations are driving great progress, but I believe we need to spend a little more time thinking about how we analyse the country's overall business landscape, with a view to ensuring continuous improvement. There is much raw material to be tapped into, which lends itself well to rich and insightful research. From well-functioning government departments that deliver large-scale projects to fast-growing tech firms and retail businesses, there is considerable scope for research into UAE business and management. Academic research that tries to make sense of these successes or failures is, however, thin. For example, although there are a few case studies on subjects such as the now-defunct Abraaj private equity firm and the collapse of NMC Health in 2020, these do not entail exhaustive multi-perspective analyses based on extensive organisational data, which internationally reputed research outlets require. The UAE's business landscape is not forgotten. It is simply under-researched Similarly, how much is studied about various organisations' systematic operations and decision-making of the kind that resulted in outstanding successes like Expo 2020 Dubai or Cop28? Not much, and that's a problem. In the absence of this kind of work, university professors like me fall back on the usual suspects. We teach our students about Google, Amazon, Starbucks and Apple – fine companies, but not Emirati. We study theories created and tested elsewhere and hope they apply here. Sometimes they do but often they don't. Slowly but surely, we raise a generation of graduates fluent in imported thinking but not necessarily equipped to tackle local challenges. Part of the difficulty lies in the UAE's unique context. The population is highly international and globally mobile; because of this, behaviours shift. There is no neat control group. The bigger issue, however, is access. Most companies and organisations in the region remain reluctant to open their doors to researchers. There is mistrust, or perhaps just inertia. What value does academic research really bring? How would executives and their organisations benefit from research undertaken by universities like mine? Here's why: organisations that don't understand themselves are doomed to keep making the same mistakes. Good research doesn't sit in libraries; it changes how leaders think. There is a phrase attributed to the American philosopher George Santayana: 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' We already know how important this is in other fields. The military has been documenting 'lessons learnt' for decades. They examine what went right, or wrong, and what could be done better next time. These lessons are accessible to members who serve in the organisation. The UAE's business landscape is not forgotten. It is simply under-researched. And that, in the long run, is just as dangerous. The Emirates is full of fascinating questions that researchers would love to explore. What happens to executive decision-making when state-owned firms are merged? How do Emirati-led teams perform compared to mixed expatriate ones? How are young Emirati employees faring in the private sector? What drives success in one organisation and paralysis in another? These aren't abstract curiosities. They are practical questions, the answers to which could make organisations better run and better prepared. Critical analysis of a superior level based on high-quality data is very important, as real progress starts with knowing where we currently stand. The findings of such detailed country-specific research would attract the attention of reputed international research journals, further enhancing the nation's research credentials. There is currently a notable lack of research of a level acceptable to top-ranked international research journals, into how a wide range of businesses and organisations in the UAE work. It's not that there is a lack of opportunities to study. Quite the opposite. Universities must play their part and do a better job of explaining our relevance. Researchers need to be more proactive and must make their case. If businesses don't see the value in what we do, perhaps we've not been clear enough. To the organisations, my call to action is simple: open your doors, even if just a little. If you allow light in, the benefits are clear: better decision-making, more 'lessons learnt', a more skilled workforce and a grounded education for Emirati students. Once this begins to happen, our academics wouldn't need to look beyond our shores to seek topics to undertake research on. Right now, the UAE's business education reads like a book missing its most important chapters – the ones about itself. It's time we wrote them in. For this, however, it needs two hands to clap.
Emirates 24/7
a day ago
- Emirates 24/7
UAE mediation efforts succeed with new exchange of 168 captives between Russia and Ukraine
The United Arab Emirates has announced the success of mediation efforts in a new exchange of war captives between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, which included 84 Ukrainian captives and 84 Russian captives, bringing the overall number exchanged through UAE mediation efforts to 4,349. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its appreciation to the two countries for their cooperation with the UAE's mediation endeavors. This reflects the confidence and appreciation of both countries for the UAE's role in supporting all efforts to resolve the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. The Ministry emphasised that the success of this mediation, the sixteenth, reflects the distinguished ties between the UAE and the two countries. Furthermore, the Ministry reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to ensuring the success of all efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, and mitigating the humanitarian impacts as a result of the crisis, including on refugees and captives. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The National
3 days ago
- The National
Dubai to complete Emirates Road repair project for busy first school day
Dubai has harnessed laser technology to identify cracks and potholes for a major repair programme on one of the country's busiest motorways to help ensure smooth travel on the first day back at school. The Roads and Transport Authority is in the final stages of extensive rehabilitation work on Emirates Road, with work to be completed by the time more than one million pupils return to classrooms on Monday, August 25. RTA teams pinpointed a 14km stretch of road that was in need of essential repairs to boost safety and improve traffic flow. 'The laser beam technology helps to identify road defects to improve the transport network and safety,' said Abdullah Lootah, director of roads and facilities maintenance at RTA. 'The data showed defects in this stretch due to large traffic especially from lorries. The repairs in two directions towards Abu Dhabi and Sharjah,' he added. 'Major highways connecting different emirates needs more repairs than the interior roads due to lorries movement.' The cutting-edge technology, first unveiled in 2023, is able to detect cracks as small as 1mm through the use of high-resolution cameras and laser scanning capabilities. Data gathered during road tours is analysed and used to help guide maintenance and repair schedules, ensuring roads that are most in need of work are attended to first. Mr Lootah said the lifespan of roads can be between 20 to 25 years. The authority rehabilitation plan involved adding two to four layers of asphalt in the fast and slow lanes. The laser patrol works by scanning the road surface and instantly detecting cracks. Without human interaction, the system's AI algorithms process the captured data in real time, analysing various parameters, such as crack width, depth and location. It then generates comprehensive reports for RTA engineers, enabling them to prioritise and plan repairs or resurfacing projects. By detecting and addressing these cracks at an early stage, the RTA aims to extend the lifespan of the road infrastructure and reduce maintenance costs. The authority launched the project during the summer season to limit the disruption caused by roadworks. 'Major work such as laying the asphalt was done on weekends. The full repair will finish on August 25 and the road will be ready for commuters with the beginning of the new academic year,' Mr Lootah added. First day back at school – in pictures Authorities across the Emirates will put traffic calming measures around schools to prepare for the start of the academic year. Motorists can also have four black points cleared from their licence if they avoid accidents and abide by traffic rules on August 25, under the annual Accident-Free Day campaign. Emirates Road improvement plan Emirates Road, known as the E611, stretches 110km and is a key alternative route to Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road for drivers in Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah. It allows motorists to travel to Abu Dhabi without having to go through central Dubai. The Emirates Road development project, being led by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure separately to the RTA work, will increase the number of lanes from three to five on a 25km stretch linking Al Badee Interchange in Sharjah to Umm Al Quwain. The move will boost the capacity of the route to 9,000 vehicles an hour, an increase of 65 per cent. The scheme will also include an upgrade of Interchange No 7 on Emirates Road, through the construction of six bridges to serve a combined 13,200 vehicles an hour. Work on the project is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to take two years.
