Artificial Intelligence Journey: The state is us

The international conference “Artificial Intelligence Journey” held recently in Moscow emerged as a space for discussing the practical value of artificial intelligence (AI) in public administration, for the benefit of society in every country where advanced technologies are being applied and actively developed.

This was the topic of the conference’s key discussion, entitled “Artificial Intelligence for Mankind: Helping People, Uniting Countries”.

Speaking during the debate, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia is a technological and discussion platform for global developments in the sphere of AI.

A major role in this is played by Russia’s Sberbank, as well as the National Alliance for Artificial Intelligence.

It is no secret that Russia is betting big on the development of artificial intelligence. Progress in this sphere reinforces the country’s sovereignty and is a vital resource for achieving its national goals. Furthermore, the development of AI technologies also enhances defence capability. In the words of Vladimir Putin, across-the-board application of artificial intelligence ensures high-quality development of the economy, social sectors and public administration. Innovative growth in today’s world is unthinkable without the application of AI.

The moderator of the debate, Sberbank chairman Herman Gref, pointed to the example of the Russian Finance Ministry, where AI is already being successfully used to classify budget costs and compare funding with anticipated outcomes. And this approach is not confined to Russia’s federal administration and capital city – the technology is also being deployed in the regions. Altogether, there are over 200 projects that have been designed based on artificial intelligence. Sber’s AI solutions have been implemented in 76 of Russia’s 89 regions – in other words, across most of the country – in government and social services, healthcare, agriculture, education, science, and other spheres.

Key speakers at the AI Journey conference

Representatives of the international community who took part in the plenary discussion shared their own experiences of AI and IT solutions. Aisha Bin Bishr from the UAE, former director general of Smart Dubai Office and an expert in global digital transformation and smart cities, talked about applying AI in Smart City systems. Our Arab colleagues are using data analysis to investigate crimes, with artificial intelligence helping to push down crime figures by 25 per cent in some districts of Dubai.

Traffic congestion is another topical issue for Dubai, as for many other megacities, and artificial intelligence has been successfully deployed in this area too: the introduction of AI traffic lights has saved motorists up to 20 minutes per day while reducing the number of traffic jams by 15 per cent.

In another part of the world – China – AI is also working closely with the government. Song Haitao, president of the Shanghai Institute of Artificial Intelligence and director of the AI development center at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, shared some of China’s experience of using AI in public administration.

The Chinese government is using artificial intelligence to automate data management. This provides support for decision-making, while also optimising the distribution of social benefits, resources, and budget funds. China’s economy is shot through with AI, helping to attract investors. In Shanghai alone, over 4bn yuan has been invested in AI startups.

As for Russia, one of the most attractive areas for investing in AI is education. All tech companies are investing in this sector, often by creating platforms for professional training, including for schoolchildren and students.  This was also something that Gref spoke about during the debate, adding: “In education, artificial intelligence will never be able to replace teachers. The process of educating someone can only be performed well by another person, and the teacher figure is key. The prestige of the teaching profession, freeing up teachers from paperwork so they can get back to their students is the most important thing that technology can do.”

People in Russia attach great importance to the topic of education and this can be seen in the questions put to President Putin during his annual TV phone-in.

In India, the situation around getting an education is rather different and quite fraught. One of the problems there is the shortage of teachers and this was underlined in a presentation by Aakash Guglani, digital development policy manager at Digital India Foundation. He shared some statistics for India and the world as a whole.

The global teacher shortage is estimated at 68 million, and a similar number of potential students are unable to attend classes; in India, 120,000 schools have only one teacher on the staff, and they are overloaded with paperwork. Artificial intelligence can take over not only the routine work but also customise courses to meet the individual requirements of each student and mark their work objectively.

Guglani also said that private companies must not be allowed to monopolise AI and that governments have an important role to play. Herman Gref took up the subject, adding that AI can free up teachers from bureaucracy so they can devote more time to their students. And this is the vital mission of artificial intelligence in collaboration with the teaching profession. Educating people and forming a personality can only be done by other people.

The development of AI always involves ambitious goals that require major investment. But one should not forget that this is a mutually beneficial process:  AI can generate financial returns for both governments and businesses.

“It is predicted that by 2030, artificial intelligence will add RUB11.2tn to Russia’s GDP,” said Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy chairman of the board of Sberbank.

Vedyakhin also explored the subject of how exactly artificial intelligence is changing the economy and business sector, focusing on experience in Russia and over 20 other countries, including India, China, the UAE, Morocco, Indonesia, Bahrain, and Pakistan. Many companies are now operating within the framework of the International Alliance for Artificial Intelligence, which unites efforts to develop AI around the world.

As the key technology of the 21^st century, artificial intelligence, if used intelligently and ethically, can demonstrate that nothing is too trivial and that there are no unsolvable problems.

Under the spotlight of AI, everything is becoming important and solvable, from traffic jams and rides in public transport to combating desertification and regulating macroeconomic processes.