Latest news with #BehaviouralExchange
The National
01-05-2025
- Science
- The National
AI can change the world, but humans must remain 'in charge', says expert
Artificial intelligence can serve as a crucial tool in tackling disease and help people to make better decisions, but strict protections are needed to ensure humans remain "in charge", a global expert has said. Iyad Rahwan, director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, compared regulation of the rapidly evolving AI sector to the introduction of seat belts and speed limits to help make cars safe. Prof Rahwan, who leads the Centre for Humans and Machines at the institute, said advanced technology would be a force for good in the world, if harnessed responsibly. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the inaugural Behavioural Exchange conference, at New York University Abu Dhabi. 'In the past we had machines," said Prof Rahwan. "We invented machines that can lift more weight than we can. We've invented machines that can travel much faster than we can on foot or by animal. And we somehow managed to control these technologies. "Now we have very fast cars. We have traffic, traffic lights and we have traffic laws, and we have speed limits. We have standards for how to build those cars to make them safe and I think we need to do something similar with the machines that are powered by our computers. "They're going to make us think faster rather than move faster, and they're going to help us make better decisions, faster decisions. But we also need the seat belts and the traffic laws and all of that in order to make sure that they don't take away our agency.' Technology 'empowers and does not harm us' as long as there are such protections in place, he said. He believes AI itself will be key to enforcing those safeguards. 'Yes, we are relying on technology," he added. "We rely on technology all the time. We rely on electricity, we are relying on the water system. All of these are systems we built that we depend on, they have a lot of redundancy, and sometimes they get challenged.' Prof Rahwan said it was "very important that we're going to have artificial intelligence systems doing things, and artificial intelligence systems policing those systems". 'I don't think machines will take over," he added. "I think in some way, we will put them against each other for our service and we will always be the ones in charge. We are the ones who are co-ordinating everything. We're orchestrating everything in the physical world.' Prof Rahwan believes AI will help guide society to create a better world. 'In the short and medium term, yes, there will be a lot of change," he said. "Maybe you have some challenges but there will also be a lot of value, a lot of improvement. "A lot of diseases will be cured. There will be so much benefit that we will manage because our productivity. Health care will improve.' Technology, he added, is already changing how we think and learn. 'Obviously, the technology changes our human behaviour as a tool," he explained. "If you know that you have access to a map on your phone, maybe you don't have to remember how to get to your destination as much, or you don't need to write. So we're already changing what we remember, maybe what we prioritise for our memory. 'We are adapting, continuously, our culture and also, collectively, to technology and shaping even our language.' Researchers, he said, have been caught off guard by how quickly the global landscape is shifting after the advent of AI. 'ChatGPT was a massive surprise for everybody, even people within AI," he said. "What surprised me, maybe more also, is the robots, how fast robotics are improving, because they are using the same kind of technology to be able to learn how to do, to learn the physics of the environment, physics of the world.' The Emirates is at the forefront of efforts to unlock the power of AI. In 2017, the government named Omar Al Olama as the world's first AI minister. In October, the UAE Cabinet approved an international policy on AI to help prevent the misuse of the technology. Under the policy, the UAE will participate in international forums to help develop the use of the technology, advocate transparency to enable governments to enforce ethical and accountability standards, and support the establishment of international alliances for governing AI systems. It will also help in implementing international regulations that hold countries accountable for developing AI tools that could cause harm or affect stability.
Al Etihad
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Etihad
Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed attends Behavioural Exchange 2025 conference
30 Apr 2025 21:33 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD) His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, has attended the opening day of the Behavioural Exchange (BX2025) conference, a hallmark event focused on the intersection of behavioural science and public policy and held at NYU Abu Dhabi under the theme New Horizons in Behavioural conference, running until May 1, brings together more than 500 international experts, researchers, and academics to explore how behavioural science can address pressing global and societal challenges. The event is a global platform for fostering innovative, sustainable, and community-driven solutions through scientific research and Highness emphasised the significance of the conference as a venue to strengthen community initiatives and promote sustainable development, praising the efforts of the organisers for attracting leading policymakers and researchers from around the Highness said, 'This conference plays a vital role in applying behavioural science to the most urgent challenges we face. It supports the shaping of policies and services that are more aligned with people's real-life experiences, aspirations, and needs.'His Highness also highlighted the importance of employing innovative methodologies, interdisciplinary tools, and strategic thinking to deepen the understanding of human behaviour and deliver lasting social impact. During his visit, His Highness met with several participating speakers and experts, engaging in discussions around the latest academic and institutional research outcomes. His Highness affirmed the need to translate such insights into effective government and community programmes that improve quality of life and reflect the lived realities of people.
The National
30-04-2025
- Health
- The National
Science can change how people think to help society, conference hears
Behavioural science can be used by governments to guide decision-making, build good habits and tackle societal ills, some of the world's leading experts have said at an event in Abu Dhabi. At the inaugural Behavioural Exchange conference at NYU Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment, called for strategies that strengthen people's ability to adapt and lead. 'It's about building people who can function and thrive and lead when none of these paths exist,' she said in her opening speech. Speaking to The National, Cass Sunstein, Robert Walmsley Professor at Harvard Law School and co-author of the influential book Nudge, said governments and institutions can dramatically improve people's health and well-being through simple design choices that guide but never force better decisions. The concept behind nudge theory is to preserve freedom of choice while gently steering people towards beneficial outcomes. 'The idea is that it's possible to improve outcomes for people by nudging them without mandating anything,' he said. 'If you get information about allergens in food, you're being nudged to avoid those foods. If an airport offers clear directions to the gate or a prayer room, that's a nudge. If your printer defaults to double-sided, you're being nudged to use less paper.' Nudges, he explained, are built into everyday environments. They do not take away a person's autonomy and freedom of choice. Shops, for example, can encourage healthier diets simply by putting nutritious items at eye-level. 'All over the world, nations are using behavioural science to try to improve outcomes,' he said. 'In the UAE, there's extraordinary work being done to help people live longer, eat better, and stay safe.' Rasha Attar, director of the Behavioural Science Group, pointed to successes that demonstrated measurable change in the UAE. 'Some of our early wins that showed tangible and competent changes were in our collaboration with Nema, the national food loss initiative,' she said. 'We were able to decrease food loss across multiple different touch points and to show different stakeholders and new partners that, with simple low-cost nudges, we are able to change behaviours sustainably.' Ms Attar said the team is targeting a range of habits. 'Whether it's encouraging people to become more physically active, to be more aware of what kind of food they eat, to be healthier, these are all behaviours we love to see.' On whether simple nudges could shape long-term behaviour, she said: 'Absolutely, with the right choice, the right environment, but also the correct nudges that have been tailored to suit our particular audience? Absolutely.' She described a study implemented during Ramadan in the Emirates that focused on cutting food waste as people broke their fast, noting that it was cut by 15 per cent per diner after 'simple posters or cards with important messages about waste' were strategically located to raise awareness and trigger different behaviours. Professor David Halpern, president emeritus of the Behavioural Insights Team, said Abu Dhabi is becoming a global hub for this sort of research. 'The whole thing is bringing together leading thinkers, who try to understand human behaviour, with policymakers,' he said. Prof Halpern, often regarded as one of the pioneers of the nudge movement, said that understanding and influencing human behaviour is essential to solving today's most pressing public policy challenges, from obesity to savings habits to climate action. But nudges are only the beginning, with Prof Halpern emphasising that long-term change depends on creating new habits. 'A lot of our behaviour is driven from an almost automatic level of habit. So one of the challenges is for us to become more aware of our habits and what drives them, and that can be empowering for families or communities or countries,' he said. 'Ideally, what we're often trying to do is turn it into a new habit which sometimes even becomes part of our identity.' The conference is hosted by the Behavioural Insights Team and the Behavioural Science Group, in partnership with the Centre for Behavioural Institutional Design at NYU Abu Dhabi. Areas of discussion focus on applied behavioural sciences and how these insights can be used to aid international development, global education and change societal norms. It concludes on Thursday.
Al Etihad
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Etihad
UAE President receives participants in Behavioural Exchange 2025
29 Apr 2025 21:18 ABU DHABI (WAM)President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today welcomed participants in the Behavioural Exchange (BX2025) conference at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu conference, organised by the Office of Development Affairs, will take place from 30 April to 1 May 2025 at NYU Abu Dhabi under the theme 'New Frontiers in Behavioural Science'.His Highness welcomed the participants, wishing them success in their discussions on the vital topics on the conference agenda. He expressed hope that their contributions would help foster positive behaviours that support social development around the Highness emphasised that community engagement, support, and positivity are essential to the success of development-focused initiatives, particularly in areas such as education, healthcare, climate action, and sustainability. His Highness reaffirmed the UAE's firm commitment to promoting good conduct within society as a key element in advancing development plans. Participants in the conference expressed their gratitude to His Highness the President for the UAE's hosting of the event and praised the country's continued development across various fields.
CairoScene
14-04-2025
- Science
- CairoScene
Abu Dhabi to Host Global Behavioural Science Conference BX2025
Set to be the first MENA edition of the conference, BX2025 will explore how behavioural insights shape public policy. Apr 14, 2025 Abu Dhabi is set to become the first city in the MENA region to host the Behavioural Exchange (BX2025) conference, the world's leading forum on the application of behavioural science in public policy. Organised by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) and the Behavioural Science Group, the conference will take place from April 30th to May 1st at New York University Abu Dhabi under the theme 'New Frontiers for Behavioural Science'. BX2025 brings together global experts, policymakers, academics, and practitioners to examine how behavioural insights can inform effective governance. This year's edition will explore how behavioural science can address emerging societal challenges, from health and education to environmental sustainability and financial well-being. Behavioural science, rooted in the study of decision-making and human psychology, has become a powerful tool in shaping effective public policy. Governments around the world increasingly use behavioural insights to design interventions that align with how people actually think and behave, rather than how they are expected to. The conference, now in its seventh edition, has previously been held in cities including London, New York, and Sydney. The Abu Dhabi edition signifies the UAE's growing investment in evidence-based policy and its role as a regional hub for research and innovation. Registration for BX2025 is now open via the event's official website.
