A glimpse of AI era at global AI summit

Visitors communicate with a "conversational robot" during the third edition of the Global AI Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

RIYADH, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- An agile robotic dog greeted passersby with various movements; virtual reality-driven equipment assisted companies in achieving low-cost skills training, and a mobile music app composed in real-time through intelligent data analysis -- the third edition of Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit held in the Saudi capital Riyadh has offered a glimpse of the future of AI.

Running from Tuesday to Thursday, the summit saw AI companies worldwide showcase their latest advancements, highlighting the remarkable speed of AI development and the increasing prevalence of its applications in various scenarios.

At the booth of a British AI company called Luminous XR, staff members were guiding visitors to virtual and mixed-reality training at a table equipped with tools like wrenches and pliers.

Users wore headsets and manipulated the tools in the air to engage in training across various virtual scenarios. Ben Bennett, CEO of Luminous XR, said this system is currently used to train the company's local workforce in Saudi Arabia.

A staff member controls AI glasses of mixed-reality training for enterprises during the third edition of the Global AI Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

At the booth of Germany's Siemens, a human-machine conversation was taking place. "Are you functioning well right now?" A technician asked. "I'm doing great, operating normally," an AI-driven machine replied.

According to the booth staff, this human-machine interaction system could be utilized with any machine equipped with a programmable logic controller, allowing users to check machine status as casually as having a conversation, without physical operations or code inputs.

During the summit, the vast potential of AI technology for improving the life of humanity is evident.

This photo taken on Sept. 10, 2024 shows the opening ceremony of the third edition of the Global AI Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (GAIN/Handout via Xinhua)

However, company representatives told Xinhua that most companies have concentrated mainly on European and North American markets, making AI services seem quite far off for many developing countries, particularly those struggling financially.

According to Deemah Al-Yahya, secretary-general of the Digital Cooperation Organization based in Riyadh, AI projects require significant amounts of energy. Addressing the energy constraints that hinder AI development poses a challenge even for developed countries, let alone for impoverished nations that cannot reliably secure their daily electricity supply, she noted.

"The uneven digital landscape threatens to create an AI divide further magnified by the existing digital divide, leading to a new form of exclusion... We need cooperative actions to ensure AI bridges these divides rather than making them worse," she said.

"We need global coordination to build safe and inclusive AI that is accessible to all," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previously appealed, echoing a similar sentiment.

Visitors experience robotic arms making name badge during the third edition of the Global AI Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

On July 1, the 78th UN General Assembly reached a historic consensus by adopting a resolution spearheaded by China on enhancing international cooperation for AI capacity building, with over 140 countries saying yes.

This resolution outlines a series of practical measures to strengthen international collaboration, intending to help all countries, especially developing ones, benefit equally from AI development, bridge the digital divide, improve global AI governance, and accelerate the fulfillment of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As Vilas Dhar, president and trustee of Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a nonprofit focused on AI, has said, "The future of AI should belong to all humanity."