Future Beat: The beginning of the end?

Hello there,

In his column for?The National?this week, Dubai Future Foundation executive director Patrick Noack argues that artificial intelligence?spells the beginning of the end of technology.

Far from some kind of doomsday prediction, Dr Noack is making the point that AI will become so ubiquitous that it will essentially be the last technology we need to develop and discover all of the other types of technology.

“I am not saying that there will be no new technologies in the future – there will be plenty, and most of them will be surprising and helpful,” he writes.

“But I would argue that the vast majority of new discoveries, experiments and resulting technologies will emerge thanks to – or with significant input from – artificial intelligence.”

Could this previously almost-inconceivable level of technological progress soon see AI solving the world’s greatest challenges? Will pervasive issues such as water scarcity in the Middle East, for example, be solved by supercomputers?

If you follow Dr Noack’s line of thinking, it is entirely conceivable.

Louise Burke

The Big Story

Middle East water scarcity in the spotlight

In brief |?The Middle East’s fragile water supplies are under further threat from climate change, with access to clean water in the region?becoming a “pressing challenge of our times”.

Rising temperatures could reduce Iraq’s available freshwater by as much as a fifth, according to one official. There are also fears that climate hazards could force Palestinians to switch to alternative water supplies that carry “severe health risks”.

The concerns were raised during World Water Week in Stockholm, one of the events paving the way for the Cop28 summit in the UAE.

Shahira Wahbi, an Arab League official responsible for housing and water resources, said problems such as water scarcity, pollution and poor sanitation are “all related to the effect” of climate change.

Why it matters |?Every nation in the Mena region will suffer extreme water scarcity by 2050, according to findings published last week by the World Resources Institute. Even a brief drought could wreak havoc and totally consume supplies, pushing governments to cut water to residents, the institute warned.

Quoted |?“We all know that water is a fundamental human right and its sustainable management is crucial for the well-being and prosperity of communities across the world, and this region is no exception” – Shahira Wahbi, Arab League

Future in focus

Social smarts |?How AI will affect sustainability and ESG integration. Rapid progress in artificial intelligence could help solve many of the world’s long-term sustainability challenges, while promoting environmental, social and governance integration.

Driving change |?Plan to boost Abu Dhabi as a smart city. UAE-based AI and data company Bayanat is working with the emirate's government on smart infrastructure, including satellites and self-driving taxis.

Healing nature |?Regenerating Britain's lost rainforests. Wildlife Trusts announce millions in funding to rejuvenate the UK’s ailing natural habitats, helping to fight climate change.

Predicting the future: Signal or noise?

New eye scans using artificial intelligence could detect Parkinson’s disease in people before they have symptoms,?a study has suggested. The technology could eventually be used as a pre-screening tool for people at risk of the condition.

This is a signal.?One of the fields that will be revolutionised by AI in coming years is medical diagnostics, where imaging data can be processed and analysed at high speed. As we reported last week, portable ultrasound machines developed at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, paired with AI technology, are expected to enable early detection of heart defects in babies,?potentially saving millions of lives. Expect many more big stories like this.

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