Positive impacts of AI
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Friday urged the stakeholders to utilise the prospects of artificial intelligence for developing the peoples living standard. AI is one of the most impactful and transformational technologies in this era of the fourth industrial revolution. Its development started from the 1940s and boosted up in 1950s with some significant milestones. The gradual development of AI continued for the next several decades. The breakthrough for impactful AI applications started in the mid-1890s, as that fundamental problem was gradually being solved through almost exponential enhancement of computer power and memory every year.
Strategy and policies for AI, which basically aim to maximise the benefits of AI and minimize its potential costs and risks, are being formulated across the globe. For example -- the EU has very recently unveiled ethics guidelines for AI -- which emphasizes that AI systems should be accountable, explainable, and unbiased. Around 30 countries have already created, are in the last phase of, developing AI framework; from generic as well as application-wise perspective. As far as the question of Bangladesh is concerned, certain horizons for effective AI implementation are being identified by government and relevant stakeholders.
Among public sectors, citizen services are aimed at one of the best application ground; where AI can stimulate speed, efficiency, and accuracy of service. It can bring similar benefits to other arenas -- transportation, education, agriculture, health, and environment. In the private sector, the range is vast- covering various categories of finance, trade, industry, manufacturing, digital and telecommunication services, and media. It has been a commendable and timely initiative on the governments end to devise a national strategy in Bangladesh regarding artificial intelligence. Proper formulation and successful implementation of such a strategy can be ensured through a holistic approach and consolidated effort by all relevant stakeholders.
The fourth industrial revolution has now begun, and Bangladesh must step in to take part in shaping this change to benefit from the fruits the world has yet to see. The ability of technology to crunch data and then to extract valuable information from billions of inputs in a matter of milliseconds has been improving exponentially since the last few decades. It is marked by emerging technology breakthroughs primarily in the following ten areas, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet of Things, 5G Broadband, 3D printing, Autonomous Vehicles, Cloud Computing, Blockchain like Distributed Ledgers Technology, Biotechnology and Precision Medicine, and Augmented Reality.
