DUBAI: Governments need to ensure that they have an agile workforce to take on the jobs of tomorrow, the UAE’s minister of state for artificial intelligence (AI) said on the second day of the SALT conference in Abu Dhabi.
Omar Sultan Al-Olama did not mince words while talking about the future of the job market, during a discussion on “The implications of advanced AI.” He said: “Some people will be optimized by AI, and others will be replaced by it.”
Fields such as law, medicine and diagnostics will be significantly impacted by the technology in the next five years, he added.
Citing a report by the Institute for the Future, a Dubai-based think tank, he said 85 percent of the jobs that will exist in 2030 do not exist today.
As debate rages worldwide on whether AI is stealing or creating jobs, Al-Olama said technology will help improve and create jobs rather than displace employees.
As a case in point, he cited the launch of ATMs in the US in 1985, when the number of bank tellers was 485,000.
By the time the number of ATMs had risen to 352,000 in 2002, many people expected to see a drop in the number of tellers. Instead, it rose to 527,000.
However, that may no longer be the case today. “Bus and truck drivers are under the biggest threat of AI deployment,” Al-Olama said, adding that 16 million people could lose their jobs “if autonomous trucks became mainstream tomorrow.”
Taking part in the same panel discussion, Jamil Asfour, executive director of technology partnerships at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, said while it is inevitable that each sector will be affected by AI, the speed of adoption will differ.
“If I could bet big on which sectors will be impacted by AI first, I’d say health care, transportation and the financial sector,” he added.
These sectors require automation, transparency and efficiency to manage their large volumes of data processing, Asfour said.
Al-Olama said there is an urgent need to invest in transformation of education systems, from the traditional teaching format of memorizing to a more agile system that meets the criteria of future jobs.
He described the limited class of AI-skilled talent today as “digital nomads” who are well-paid and in high demand.
“We need to understand that the type of talent working in this field is different to the talent found in other sectors. Digital nomads are highly skilled, educated individuals who can work virtually,” he said.
Countries that want to attract such talent must be able to offer them a good standard of life, easy mobility, the right infrastructure, the freedom to work and access to policymakers, said Al-Olama.
“If we look at the fundamental requirements for attracting this type of talent, I’d say the UAE is among the top countries,” he added.
As evidence, he said the UAE has been listed as the country with the “highest net inflow of AI talent” in a report published by the World Bank and LinkedIn.
Agile workforce needed for future job market, Abu Dhabi forum told
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Agile workforce needed for future job market, Abu Dhabi forum told
- ‘Some people will be optimized by AI, and others will be replaced by it,’ says UAE minister
- Dubai-based think tank calculates that ‘85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 do not exist today’
UN rights chief slams dangerous ‘tit-for-tat dynamic’ in Mideast war
- Turk deplored the extensive attacks in residential areas, on health facilities, schools, cultural property and water and energy infrastructure
- He stressed that “under the laws of war, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all costs“
GENEVA: The United Nations rights chief voiced alarm Tuesday at the Middle East conflict’s deepening impact on civilians, warning of the dangers of the seeming “tit-for-tat dynamic” between the warring sides.
The United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, prompting waves of Iranian strikes across the Gulf.
With hostilities intensifying, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk deplored the extensive attacks in residential areas, on health facilities, schools, cultural property and water and energy infrastructure.
“This apparent tit-for-tat dynamic, involving essential infrastructure with extremely significant civilian impacts, will only increase risks for civilian populations more broadly, with potentially dire consequences across the entire region,” he warned in a statement.
Turk stressed that “under the laws of war, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all costs.”
“All parties are bound by these rules, and must be held to account if they do not,” he said, warning: “the world is watching.”
The UN rights chief warned that “strikes against vital civilian infrastructure in the Middle East — as well as the widening geographic spread of strikes — are further increasing risks for populations across the region, and beyond.”
He pointed to strikes on a water desalination plant and fuel facilities in Iran over the weekend, igniting fires and reportedly disrupting water access for dozens of villages.
It also prompted warnings of “acid rain” that could cause chemical burns and serious lung damage.
“The foreseeable impacts on civilians and the environment of these strikes raise serious questions as to compliance of these attacks with the requirements of international humanitarian law of proportionality and precaution,” Turk said.
“This warrants careful legal scrutiny.”
He also highlighted the broader impact of the war.
The plunge in commercial shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz was taking a severe toll on access to energy, food and fertilizer across the region and beyond — hitting the world’s most vulnerable people the hardest.
Turk raised concern about reports of detentions, charges and other forms of repression and intimidation against people in a number of countries, in connection with their expression of opinions around the Middle East conflict.
He demanded that all those arbitrarily detained be released immediately and unconditionally.
“States are reminded of their obligation under international human rights law to respect and protect people’s right to freedom of expression — particularly in times of crisis,” he said.
