The Telegraph My details My newsletters Logout Upgrade to Premium My details My newsletters Logout The Telegraph Artificial intelligence and the implications of its rapid growth Brought to you by Tata Communcations different forms, and already permeates our everyday life 3 August 2016 • 4:30pm Oliver Pickup As artificial intelligence reinvents every business, chief executives have a responsibility to consider the implications of this transformative technology.
 Artificial intelligence is no longer the subject of science fiction, or something we are going to see in 20 or 30 years,” said Vinod Kumar, chief executive of Tata Communications, in his welcome address at the recent 2016 CEO Summit with the theme “Artificial intelligence meets emotional intelligence”.
 Mr Kumar set the scene for the summit, which gathered 60 business leaders and tech trendsetters at Coworth Park in Ascot, Berkshire, to discuss possible threats and opportunities in the coming AI age.
 "We need to define the rules of this game, the control, the security" He said: “AI takes many different forms, and permeates all aspects of our lives today.
 We now have a variety of technologies where intelligent machines, powered by advances in micro-technology and superfast connectivity and cloud computing, are changing the way we live and work.
 Beyond driverless cars and very smart computers that can beat chess champions, there are numerous mundane applications of AI which are enabled by simple sensors connected to smartphone SIM cards.
 To harness the potential of AI it is critical to be open-minded, and have a willingness to learn.
” Randy Dean, chief business officer of San Francisco-based Sentient Technologies and a session leader at the summit, went further.
 “AI’s disruptive nature means we are beginning to see seismic advances in healthcare, transport, agriculture, banking and many other domains.
 I would say everything invented in the past 150 years will be reinvented using AI within the next 15 years.
” Fears over mass unemployment, internet security and the prospect of machines achieving human-like consciousness were raised.
 "To harness the potential of AI it is critical to be open-minded, and have a willingness to learn" The futurist Gerd Leonhard said: “There needs to be a paradigm shift, so companies are more efficient, but also to reassign human talent that will basically live on top of technology.
 I’m 90 per cent positive AI will be used for good, but we need to define the rules of this game, the control mechanism, security, and everything which is currently out of touch.
” Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Standards Association, believes boundaries must be set to prevent harmful AI being spawned.
 “AI poses clear dilemmas,” he said.
 “Who is in charge?
 Does this mean humans give up being free agents?
 Now ethical dilemmas are answered by the companies who do the programming but surveys show people want others – neutral bodies, themselves or governments – to be in charge.
 “Many computer programmers use a ‘quick and dirty’ ideology to get the product on the market, letting others find the bugs or deal with unintended consequences.
 This cannot continue.
 It is the wrong practice and, with AI, very dangerous for our future.
” The first AI code-of-conduct charter will be published in October.
 Mr Karachalios said: “You cannot expect every technologist to be a philosopher or sociologist, but the companies that produce critical software must introduce in the design workflow system moments where knowledgeable, intelligent people get time to reflect.
 This may mean the product takes more time to get to market, which is seen as a disadvantage in an era when the first gets it all.
” "We are trying to connect the world and break down borders using digital technology" A consistent, secure connection is vital, too.
 And Tata Communications, whose network carries almost a quarter of the world’s internet routes, is well positioned to assist.
 This fourth annual chief executives’ summit emphasised the company’s ambition to be an enabler and innovator for platform economies and the cloud.
 “We have a very strong vested interest in the enablement of AI,” Mr Kumar said.
 “But equally we are using AI ourselves to improve our business and create new domains to operate in.
 It is our raison d’être at Tata Communications to identify the largest business issues and highlight the great opportunities we face.
 “We believe innovation comes from diversity.
 The only way these big issues can be tackled is by bringing a diverse audience together and through working together.
 We need to look at it from all angles, and develop robust solutions which will have long-lasting benefits to us all.
 “Whether your journey is in AI, internet of things, augmented reality, cloud or virtual reality, at Tata Communications we do a lot in terms of the underlying plumbing and the platforms but also play our part in big ecosystems.
 We are trying to connect the world and break down borders using digital technology.
” Tata Communications reached by this internet backbone inviting employees to submit ideas with the potential to become a $200m business within 10 years and touch billions network, being built in cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore by Tata Communications See how you can connect your business at tatacommunications.
com If you would like to add a comment, please register or log in Register Log in Please review our commenting policy Don't miss experts 08 Aug 2016, 11:45am Instant diagnosis by smartphone: how artificial intelligence can save lives humans 25 Jul 2016, 12:15pm How worldwide businesses should prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence 20 Jul 2016, 11:30am Act now to benefit from artificial intelligence – before it’s too late intelligence: driver-less cars, robots, virtual reality 12 Jul 2016, 10:15am How artificial intelligence will transform your business To keep up with business demands innovation is essential How to recruit the best talent for your business Disruption in the marketplace is good for business busy streets, full of people 09 Jul 2015, 3:04pm Social responsibility: giving back is important More from Tata Communications Enterprises are moving away from the in-house data centre and forging new hybrid relationships between their existing data centres and cloud-hosted solutions Cloudification As technology continues to move at a breakneck pace — with social, mobile, analytics and cloud driving the evolution of businesses — innovative telecoms players are helping enterprises to embrace the change Embracing change From Bahrain to Brazil and back again, Tata Communications helps businesses reach their audiences faster and expand into new territories.
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