Join us for an evening with Professor Yanis Ben Amor, Columbia University, who will share insights on the global implications of A.I. and approaches to ensuring more equitable access.
While A.I. technologies, particularly Large Language Models such as ChatGPT, offer numerous opportunities for enhancing education, research, and innovation, their widespread adoption and effective utilization require substantial resources, infrastructure, and expertise. This discrepancy in resources between developed and developing countries could widen the gap between their respective universities, and their ability to use or develop these A.I. technologies.
The discussion will examine how the availability of computational power, data availability, talent readiness, and financial resources all play a crucial role in determining the capacity to train and deploy advanced A.I. models. Training AI models like ChatGPT requires significant computational power and storage capabilities. Universities in developed countries often possess powerful computing infrastructure and can afford high-performance hardware or cloud-based services for AI training. Developed countries, with their advanced technological infrastructure and access to abundant data sources, are also more likely to possess the necessary data for training sophisticated AI models. In addition, developed countries tend to have a more established ecosystem for AI research and a larger pool of skilled professionals. They often attract top talent, have well-funded research programs, and offer extensive opportunities for collaboration. Finally, developed countries, with greater financial resources, can allocate substantial funds to AI initiatives in universities, enabling them to pursue cutting-edge research, establish specialized AI centers, and offer competitive salaries to AI professionals. This is in stark contrast with the resources available in developing countries.
It will also suggest solutions, particularly for developers when designing, developing, or deploying A.I. models, to prevent a widening digital divide brought by A.I. between the Global South and the Global North.
