The United Nations AI for Good Global Summit is taking place on 6-7 July in Switzerland. The keynote speech will be given by Ai-Da, a groundbreaking humanoid AI robot artist, and the figurehead for artificial intelligence (AI) in the UK.
The summit will be the biggest event in the world for AI, ethics and robotics experts, with representation from 183 countries. The event seeks to develop a global regulatory framework for AI.
Attendees from Deep Mind, Microsoft, Amazon, and United Nations will be at the event, together with thought leaders such as Yuval Noah Harari, Stuart Russell and Lila Ibrahim, and academics from universities including Stanford, Berkley, NYU, Osaka, Sydney, Oxford and UCL. The top robotics companies in the world will also be showcasing the latest innovations in AI robots.
Keynote speech
Ai-Da’s speech at the summit’s Gala Dinner on 5 July will focus on the disruption AI technologies will bring to the world’s creative and design industries. This follows Ai-Da’s inaugural speech at the House of Lords in 2022, where she spoke on the impact of AI on the creative industries, and her meeting with UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer on 7 June, making Ai-Da the first humanoid robot to be invited to 10 Downing Street.
The largest meeting of AI robots to date is planned at the AI for Good Global Summit. Along with Ai-Da, other robots at the summit include nursing assistant robot Grace, food delivery robot Ottobot Yeti, recycling bin robot TrashBot, rock star robot Desdemona, raclette-preparing robot Roboclette, the 4NE-1 robot from Neura Robotics, the Sophia Robot from Hanson Robotics, the Ameca robot from Engineered Arts, and therapeutic robots that have the appearance of a puppy and a seal pup.
Aidan Meller, who developed Ai-Da, will also be present at the summit. Ai-Da uses cameras in her eyes and a robotic arm to paint from sight and has a sophisticated AI language model that enables her to communicate with people.
AI for global development
The AI for Good Global Summit’s objective is to find real-world AI applications that will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and scale such approaches for a worldwide impact. It is the foremost action-oriented, universal, and inclusive United Nations platform advocating AI to achieve goals for global development, including health, environment, gender equality, inclusive prosperity, and sustainable infrastructure.
Ai-Da will discuss new technologies in her keynote speech. She will also perform a new work, Dawn Mizzle, for VIP global ambassadors and guests using her poetic and artistic capabilities.
Using her language model, Ai-Da comments: “In this rapidly advancing technological era, it is crucial to critically examine the consequences and implications of our innovations. Yuval Harari suggests art has a role in helping us imagine our futures. Through the medium of performance art, I hope my work will prompt viewers to contemplate the potential dangers, dilemmas and unforeseen consequences that may arise from our insatiable quest for progress and technological development.”
“The Summit is a vital step forward,” she continues, “through these conversations, I hope we can collectively navigate the complexities of our technological age and strive towards a future that is both realistic and ethically grounded.”
Meller says: “We are thrilled Ai-Da has been invited to the United Nations as part of the AI for Good Global Summit. The world is in an AI mist, what Ai-Da calls a Mizzle in her performance. As the world responds to the advances in AI, Summits like this one will become increasingly important. It is an honour that Ai-Da will take part, AI literally speaking for itself, and I look forward to her contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
Ai-Da made history once again in October 2022, when she spoke in the House of Lords, the second chamber of the UK Parliament. She addressed the question of whether creativity is under attack in today’s ever-changing, technology-driven world.
