Jakarta, INTI - Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to demonstrate its potential in bringing major changes across various sectors, from manufacturing to education. During the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Dalian, China, industry leaders and experts gathered to discuss how AI can be optimally harnessed to drive economic growth, improve operational efficiency, and address pressing global issues.
AI’s Role in Smarter Decision-Making
One of the key themes highlighted was the use of AI to support smarter and faster decision-making across organizations. Darko Matovski from causaLens explained that causal AI has the ability to understand cause-and-effect relationships, enabling organizations to make more precise decisions. This technology is expected to be a major breakthrough in corporate management and policy-making.
However, while AI is frequently discussed, its application in decision-making is still in its early stages. The biggest challenge is ensuring that this technology can be effectively used in real-world scenarios, especially in addressing complex and far-reaching problems.
AI and Industrial Efficiency
The manufacturing sector is one of those that have benefited the most from AI. By using AI, companies can increase efficiency in various operational aspects, from predictive machine maintenance to production schedule optimization. Data from the University of Maryland shows that AI has delivered a 30% improvement in predictive maintenance and around a 20% boost in operational optimization.
Samuele Ramadori from BrainBox AI added that AI has great potential to improve energy efficiency in various industries, including commercial buildings and the logistics sector. However, to maximize AI’s potential, better data access and greater efforts to prepare industries for this technology are needed.
AI to Address the Skills Gap
In the workplace, AI can also be used to accelerate recruitment processes and address skill gaps. Nancy Xu from Moonhub explained that AI can help companies find talent more quickly and efficiently, while reducing biases in the recruitment process. AI enables companies to create a “talent abundance,” which has traditionally been a barrier to business growth.
In addition, AI can be used to personalize employee training. Vu Van from ELSA explained that AI-enabled personalized learning allows individuals to learn according to their specific needs, ultimately improving learning outcomes and engagement for students or employees.
Inclusive Growth with AI
AI is not just about technology; it’s also about collaboration and interoperability. In a session on digital prospects in ASEAN, Ivan John E Uy emphasized that AI can be a catalyst for inclusive growth in the region. However, the biggest challenge is ensuring that digitalization is not siloed, but instead creates an environment that fosters cross-country information exchange and innovation.
Responsible AI: Ethical and Social Challenges
In discussions about AI implementation, participants also highlighted the importance of building strong governance frameworks to ensure that this technology is used responsibly. For example, the AI Governance Alliance formed by the World Economic Forum focuses on developing ethical and sustainable standards to ensure that AI is implemented safely and without harm to society.
The Future of AI in Industry
While AI is still in its early stages in many sectors, its potential is vast. However, industry leaders agree that in order to fully realize AI’s potential, collaboration between governments, the private sector, and civil society is essential. Additionally, ensuring that education and training for workers can keep up with technological advancements is a priority in facing the ongoing AI revolution.