Doha..WISE summit discusses wartime education and culture of AI revolution

The World Innovation Summit in Education (WISE) concluded on Wednesday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The theme of the conference was “Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Public Interest” and the theme was “Visions of Creativity: Enhancing Human Potential in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”

The summit brought together nearly 7,000 attendees, representing various stakeholders in education, including thought leaders, policymakers, innovators and youth. This is to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence and its impact on the global education sector.

Highlighting collaborative efforts to investigate complex challenges in education, the 11th WISE Summit published findings on seven global research projects covering a range of different topics such as: “The Impact of Education Festivals on Building Skills and Strengthening Communities”, The relationship between teacher well-being, student well-being and educational pathways”, “Education and Employment of People with Disabilities”.

“Education in War Times”

The WISE conference dedicated a session titled “Education in Wartime” where participants highlighted the challenges faced by students and the educational process in crisis areas, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Education Above All Foundation, attended the meeting held on the last day of the summit.

Jeffrey Sachs, an economic expert and adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General, spoke at the meeting and pointed out that there are flaws in the United Nations’ working mechanism to prevent conflicts and wars around the world.

Sacks, who is also director of Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, explained that the Gaza Strip is one of the few places in the world where conflict has lasted for more than four decades.

He said that all international resolutions confirm the right to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, but the problem lies in the lack of capacity to implement these resolutions.

In his speech, Sacks called on the UN Security Council and the United Nations to admit the State of Palestine as a full member state and recognize its full sovereignty along the 1967 borders.

He said: “The American people want justice and peace, and the public opinion on the streets of the United States today is peace and stability.”

The meeting held a minute’s silence for the souls of those who lost their lives in the recent war waged by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Education and media

Conrad Wolfram, co-founder and CEO of the European Wolfram Research Group, delivered a speech at the closing ceremony of the summit, focusing on the importance of computational thinking in the educational environment in the era of artificial intelligence and emphasizing the interrelationship between mathematical research and This relationship exists between computational methods, which will enhance critical thinking skills and creativity, calling for the prioritization of computational tools in education systems to address real-world challenges.

During the closing day session of the conference, Nina Schick, considered one of the earliest international experts in the field of generative artificial intelligence, said that the world today is witnessing a shift in the course of human development, noting that “machines are about bringing changes to the way we live and work. Come to profound change and even… experience what it means to be human.

In his keynote address to the most prominent thought leaders, policymakers, technology innovators, and young pioneers from around the world, Shi noted the tremendous advances in capabilities of AI systems, considering “the AI ​​revolution in which we live today ), a symbiotic and complementary relationship between humans and machines will become the norm, with them working together and complementing each other.”

Academician Mark Owen-Jones, associate professor in the Master of Arts in Humanities and Digital Society program at Hamad bin Khalifa University, spoke about the challenges faced by education systems in identifying and responding to disinformation and provided a series of suggestions on methods. Artificial Intelligence, in a lecture titled “Critical Thinking in the Digital Age: Artificial Intelligence, Information Literacy, and the Fight against Misinformation.”

The lecture includes a contemporary analysis of media bias, particularly in the context of current events in Palestine and the Gaza Strip, and raises fundamental questions about information literacy, infrastructure and learning technologies.

In order to draw more attention to the current challenges facing the Gaza Strip, WISE 2023 Summit strategic partner Education Above All Foundation held a plenary session dedicated to the solutions and initiatives needed to achieve education recovery and explore the possibility of restoring education . Affected communities lack access to data and digital technologies due to conflict.

Artificial Intelligence for the greater good

The summit also discussed the issue of the collective impact of AI applications in research and education, as well as in politics, media and philanthropic work, as well as the role of AI applications in a session titled “Artificial Intelligence for the Public Good”. These applications are designed to develop the next generation of leaders who can rise to the challenge.

Over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, the summit discussed new educational approaches that use artificial intelligence to enhance the creative potential of students and teachers, and ensure that justice and right values ​​are integrated into emerging educational technologies.

The summit was attended by more than 150 expert speakers from around the world, who presented their ideas in more than 20 foundational sessions and a set of experimental activities as well as participatory and practical sessions on education.

The summit also discussed the role of AI in shaping the future of the classroom and “building ethical AI.”

One of the paths discussed by experts is “the independence of education systems in light of artificial intelligence and its growing superpowers.”

In terms of teaching courses, the summit gave important space, especially how to integrate and manage technology to reform education, aiming to create a more equitable, comprehensive and effective educational environment.