The article also shares a roundup of technology news. This includes the collapse of the Chinese internet, the UAE's interest in AI collaboration with the US, Google's inadvertent collection of children's voice data, the energy demands of data centers, and advancements in weather prediction through AI. The article concludes with a feature on the potential of broadband funding to connect isolated Native communities in the US.
Key takeaways:
- The UN’s AI for Good Summit in Geneva focused on how AI can be used to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including eradicating poverty and hunger, achieving gender equality, promoting clean energy and climate action.
- The conference convened people working in AI from around the globe, including speakers from China, the Middle East, and Africa.
- Despite the global and diverse conversation, the author did not leave the conference feeling confident that AI would play a meaningful role in advancing any of the UN goals.
- Rural and Native communities in the US have long had lower rates of cellular and broadband connectivity than urban areas, a problem that was underscored during the covid-19 pandemic as these communities moved school and other essential daily activities online.