by Editor | Jan 24, 2021 | News
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, recipient of the World Leader for Peace and Security Award 2020, gave a speech at the European Parliament Plenary on the inauguration of the new US President Joe Biden January 20, 2021. She said:
“In all beginning there dwells a magic force. Jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne. I cannot help but think of this famous line of the poet Hermann Hesse when looking forward to the inauguration of Joe Biden in a few hours from now. Joe Biden’s oath will be a message of healing for a deeply divided nation. And it will be a message of hope for a world that is waiting for the U.S. to be back in the circle of like-minded states. This time-honoured ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol will be a demonstration of the resilience of American democracy. And a resounding proof that, once again, after four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House. And he will be standing next to Kamala Harris, the first woman to be Vice-President of the United States.
This is a historic achievement and this also makes this day very special. This new dawn in America is the moment we have been waiting for, so long. Europe is ready for a new start with our oldest and most trusted partner. And this is why the Commission recently has adopted a new, forward looking transatlantic agenda. And it focuses on where we can together join forces to push for global change – based on our common values, interests and global influence.
From climate change to health, from digitalisation to democracy – these are global challenges that need renewed and improved global cooperation. And the European Union and the United States must lead from the front and bring an alliance of like-minded partners with us. There is of course no greater need for global cooperation in the short term than in tackling the pandemic, which has been so devastating on both sides of the Atlantic. As you know, the European Union has been leading the global response since day one.
……
It is in this digital field that Europe has so much to offer the new government in Washington. The path we have taken in Europe can be an example for approaches at international level. As has long been the case with the General Data Protection Regulation. I can imagine, for example, a joint Trade and Technology Council, as a first step. Together we could create a digital economy rulebook that is valid worldwide: From data protection and privacy to the security of critical infrastructure. A body of rules based on our values: human rights and pluralism, inclusion and protection of privacy.
This day brings good news: The United States are back. And Europe stands ready. To reconnect with an old and trusted partner, to breathe new life in our cherished alliance.”
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_21_167
by Editor | Jan 24, 2021 | Event Updates
BOSTON, January 25, 2021: The Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the Michael Dukakis Institute today announced an initiative to establish a worldwide agreement to promote the transformative benefits of artificial intelligence and safeguard against potential abuses. The inclusive global conversation is designed to ensure the responsible use of AI technologies by governments and business while protecting democratic values.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming every aspect of our lives,” said Governor Michael Dukakis in announcing the initiative. “Our goal is to stimulate a global conversation that will make sure AI is used responsibly by governments and the private sector around the world.”
Determining how to govern AI has attracted thoughtful proposals and standards from a wide range of organizations, from the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to the European Union and the African Union. The new initiative plans to build on the earlier work and expand collaboration on an international scale.
The Artificial Intelligence International Accord Initiative begins with three primary goals:
- Build a consensus around the framework for an international accord on AI standards.
- Establish a Democratic Alliance on Digital Governance to support the accord and its companion document, the Social Contract for the AI Age.
- Create a monitoring system to observe the uses and abuses of AI by governments and businesses and record violations of the accord and the Social Contract.
by Editor | Jan 17, 2021 | News
Professor Judea Pearl, World Leader in AI World Society (AIWS) Award 2020, Board Member of the History of AI, conceived Deep Understanding and Data Interpretation. Michael Dukakis Institute supports this concept and model, as it will create more transparency, smarter, and easier to monitor in AI. It also will help reduce data and resources, thus saving energy and environment. Governments and business should invest more for education, research, and development of the Judea Pearl model and to create decision-making systems for governments and society.
Professor Judea Pearl wrote:
“The bulk of machine learning in AI (as well as DATA Science in general) is operating in ‘data fitting’ mode, as opposed to ‘data interpretation’ mode, which characterizes scientific thinking. ‘The data-fitting school is driven by the faith that the secret to rational decisions lies in the data themselves, if only we are sufficiently clever at data mining. In contrast, the data-interpreting school views data, not as a sole object of inquiry but as an auxiliary means for interpreting reality, and ‘reality’ stands for the processes that generate the data.’
Mathematical analysis reveals inherent limitations of the data-centric paradigm, and its inability to read Deep Understanding of the domain of discourse. This limitation entails inherent limitation in achieving human level intelligence, specifically in meeting requirements of adaptation, explainability, robustness, and ethics.”
by Editor | Jan 17, 2021 | AIWS and the Age of Global Enlightenment
In collaboration with Novaland to build the History of AI House at NovaWorld Phan Thiet, in late January 2021, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of Michael Dukakis Institute, will visit NovaWorld Phan Thiet and meet with leaders of Novaland to start to build the History of AI House. The History of AI House at NovaWorld Phan Thiet will present historical achievements, events, figures in AI, and a locale to announce the History of AI on December 31 annually.
The History of AI House at AIWS City, a virtual smart city, will connect and along with History of AI House in NovaWorld Phan Thiet, and support each other.
The first figures and achievements will be presented at the History of AI House are professor Judea Pearl, World Leader in AI World Society Award 2020, a mentor of AIWS.net, and professor Mavin Minsky, MIT.
by Editor | Jan 17, 2021 | AIWS and the Age of Global Enlightenment
Professor Randall Davis has served as Associate Director of MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (1993-1998), as a Research Director of CSAIL from 2003-2007, and as Associate Director of CSAIL from 2012-2014.
Dr. Davis has been a seminal contributor to the fields of knowledge-based systems and human-computer interaction, publishing some more than 100 articles and playing a central role in the development of several systems. He and his research group are developing advanced tools that permit natural multi-modal interaction with computers by creating software that understands users as they sketch, gesture, and talk.
He is the co-author of Knowledge-Based Systems in AI. In 1990 he was named a Founding Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of AI and in 1995 was elected to a two-year term as its President. From 1995-1998 he served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the U. S. Air Force, earning the USAF Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.
Dr. Davis has also been active in the area of intellectual property and software. In 1990 he served as expert to the Court in Computer Associates v. Altai, a case that produced the abstraction, filtration, comparison test now widely used in software copyright cases.
From 1998 to 2000 he served as the chairman of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences study on intellectual property rights and the information infrastructure entitled The Digital Dilemma: Intellectual Property in the Information Age, published by the National Academy Press in February, 2000.
We warmly welcome Professor Randall Davis to the History of AI Board.
by Editor | Jan 17, 2021 | News
Big companies, especially tech companies, have very powerful and profound political influence in the world today. The Social Contract for the AI Age demonstrated the need to balance powers of companies.
To practice and apply the Social Contract for the AI Age, Michael Dukakis Institute and Boston Global Forum founded the Monitoring Big Tech Companies Initiative. Professor Nazli Choucri, MIT Professor in cyber politics and Board Member of Michael Dukakis Institute, is one of the leaders of this initiative.
This initiative connects and collaborates with organizations, governments, and companies to collect data on how big tech companies meet the standards of the Social Contract for the AI Age — how they abuse their power to violate democratic values, and how they compromise with governments to undermine democratic values and standards of Social Contract for the AI Age. Merve Hickok, Founder of AI Ethicist, is one of the contributors of this project.
The project will start collecting data and information from February 1, 2021.
The Michael Dukakis Institute and Boston Global Forum call on individual and organizations to contribute and collaborate in this initiative to maintain and enhance democratic values.
Professor Nazli Choucri presented first concepts of AI International Accord at Boston Global Forum Conference December 12, 2020.
Merve Hickok spoke at Boston Global Forum Conference December 12, 2020.
by Editor | Jan 10, 2021 | AIWS and the Age of Global Enlightenment
On January 9, 2021, Professor Thomas Patterson, Harvard Kennedy School, Board Member of Michael Dukakis Institute, President of AIWS University, wrote the letter for founding AIWS University:
I write to announce the founding of AIWS University at AIWS City. Its mission is to foster a better world by preparing leaders and innovators for the challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities of the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AIWS University is not a traditional university but instead one devoted to lifelong learning through the application of new technology and concepts. It will provide individuals with the skills, knowledge, and worldview that will enable them to become better leaders and more innovative practitioners.
AIWS University’s courses will be taught by instructors from the world’s great universities, including my home university, Harvard University.
Based at the Michael Dukakis Institute, AIWS.city and Vietnam’s NovaWorld Phan Thiet, AIWS University will offer online courses to individuals throughout Vietnam and other countries of the region. AIWS University also has a collaborative AIWS Leadership Master’s program with Russia’s Saint-Petersburg Electrotechnical University (ETU ”LETI”).
AIWS will enroll students beginning on September 1, 2021 with course offerings in Leadership, AI and Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Management, and other subjects.
Sincerely,
Thomas E. Patterson
President, AIWS University
Bradlee Professor, Harvard University
by Editor | Jan 10, 2021 | News
World Leader in AI World Society Award recipient Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, Member of Board of Leaders of AIWS City, wrote:
My Prediction: In the intervening period, progress has been made and it seems likely that by 2021, we will see some serious application of quantum computing to solve one or more optimization problems in mechanical design, logistics scheduling or resource allocation that would be impractical with conventional supercomputing.
Despite the challenges 2020 presented, it also unlocked some opportunities like leapfrogging with tech adoption. My hope is that the public sector sustains the speed for innovation and development to unlock even greater advancements in the year ahead.
Now, as we enter 2021, and with the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine being administered, a return to normal feels within reach. But what will our return to “normal” look like really? Here are three predictions for 2021.
- Continuous and episodic Internet of Medical Things monitoring devices will prove popular for remote medical diagnosis.
- Cities will (finally) adopt self-driving cars.
- A practical quantum computation will be demonstrated.
https://www.nextgov.com/ideas/2021/01/year-ahead-3-predictions-father-internet-vint-cerf/171171/
by Editor | Jan 10, 2021 | AIWS and the Age of Global Enlightenment
On January 9, 2021, Professor Thomas Patterson, Harvard Kennedy School, President of AIWS University, taught the first lecture at AIWS Leadership Master Degree Program. This Master Degree Program is cooperation between Michael Dukakis Institute and Saint Petersburg Electrotechnology University ETU “LETI”. This lecture also is the opening of AIWS University.
He presented on American politics, talked about recent American political events, including the incident on Capitol Hill on January 6, and discussed about President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden.
Professor Thomas Patterson’s lecture combines concepts and principles, and as well as analyzes recent events. The concepts of lectures of AIWS University: to contribute content that students could not find in textbooks.
The lecture of Professor Thomas Patterson is available to watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzEc488Nk7c
