Bled (9 November 2018): More than 120 leaders from 20 countries attended IEDC’s International Annual Presidents’ Forum with dr. Daniel Susskind from the University of Oxford. The impact of technology on business and leadership in particular was explored by leadership experts Prof. Pierre Casse and Prof. Paul Claudel, while an extra dimension to the debate was brought by Mr. Frank Barz of T-Systems International, Deutsche Telekom and Mr. Nicholas Zhang from Huawei.
"The growth of technology is exponential and without restrictions, there are always new opportunities for even faster development. That is why we predict the decline of today's professions, which are becoming different in the age of the Internet. We will not need or want doctors, teachers, architects, lawyers, tax advisors, priests, consultants and many others to work the same way as in the 20th century. Artificial intelligence will continue to interfere with our lives and the work we do with greater power. But technological devices cannot replace human work.” explained Dr. Daniel Susskind.
The speakers at the Forum presented the current trends and challenges companies and their leaders are facing with artificial intelligence.
"Artificial intelligence began to develop in the 1980s. It caused the development of computers and later mobile phones. We are now facing major changes in all areas. We have come to the question of which professions are still needed. We are moving away from the traditional definition of occupations that break down into smaller units. Technology also helps us to automate the routine of work. People mistakenly think that artificial intelligence will replace human beings. The system cannot think by itself, it has its own patterns. The same results can be achieved as a human power, but in some other way. »says Dr. Susskind.
Despite the fact that artificial intelligence already communicates with people, in the future communication will be even more sophisticated. If companies want to survive, they will have to adapt to technological developments and introduce appropriate improvements or changes.
The participants of the forum found that the biggest change is needed in how we think. People need to focus on the problem we are trying to solve. In doing so, artificial intelligence can help us. It does not solve the moral question whether we need the automation of everything.
»In the 21st century many experts will be replaced by increasingly competent systems. New profiles of experts appear. Leaders will face new challenges, namely how to educate new generations and how to re-train older people. It will also be important to learn to lead the rapidly changing, globally integrated, decentralized organizations, taking into account the ethical challenges brought about by the era of artificial intelligence, "said Dr. Danica Purg.
This year's forum was very interactive. It has created a good opportunity for people to compare their views and visions on the further development of artificial intelligence and the need to involve governments in supporting this development.