Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 5 space mission, one of the final steps before astronauts landed on the Moon, setting a new benchmark for human accomplishment.
Today, we are entering a new age of scientific discovery that rivals the space race, in which cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data, predictive analytics and bio-engineering, are beginning to transform every aspect of our lives.
In this era, where the pace of innovation is challenging our ability to adapt, the World Government Summit has emerged as an essential platform to identify trends, share best practices and progressively plan for our future.
While the innovations that led to the Moon landing half a century ago were propelled by two competing super powers, today’s scientific breakthroughs are coming from every corner of a multi-polar world. Human progress is currently driven more by collaboration and the soft power enablers of education, research and international development than the traditional hard power levers that nations relied on in the past.
Reflecting this reality, the summit leverages the UAE’s reputation as a global convener to bring together heads of government, corporate leaders and deep thinkers from 140 countries on topics as varied as the policy and governance implications of AI, the next generation of space exploration and the role of youth in setting tomorrow’s agenda.
The benefits of such a gathering are self-evident. All governments have a material interest in mapping both the upsides and potential disruptions of emerging trends. They have a responsibility to make sure that advances in technology create more productive employment opportunities than they take away, and that the right skills are developed to fill the new jobs that will be required to drive the economies of the future.
In short, the summit provides a space for policy makers to learn from each other on how to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution, while mitigating its unintended consequences. More
By Dr Sultan Al Jaber thenational.ae
File photo of the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
