UN STI Forum: H.E. Mr. Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Vice Chair of the WDTA Education Council, Emphasizes the Importance of Digital Talent Development

2024-05-16 10:39:29

H.E. Mr. Muhammadou M. O. Kah, Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UN CSTD) and Vice Chair of the World Digital Technology Academy (WDTA) Education Council, delivered a keynote speech at the Ninth Annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum). He emphasized that promoting global digital talent development and artificial intelligence education can transcend geographical, age, and cultural differences, bridging the digital divide, enhancing global digital capabilities, and ultimately fostering sustainable development worldwide.

In his opening remarks at the 2024 United Nations STI Forum DigiBridge Side Event, Mr. Kah warmly welcomed the attendees and expressed sincere appreciation for Professor Marvala's profound analysis in the interdisciplinary field of education and artificial intelligence. In his speech, he highlighted the following points:

1.Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence

The deep integration of artificial intelligence has profoundly transformed the global economic landscape. We can observe that AI, through precision agriculture technologies, optimizes resource utilization and significantly enhances agricultural efficiency. The proliferation of mobile banking has expanded the boundaries of financial services, enhancing financial inclusion. AI has a transformative impact on the agriculture and finance industries. Education, as a catalyst, accelerates the application of AI technologies in medical diagnostics and personalized learning, demonstrating immense value, particularly in improving diagnostic accuracy and customizing learning solutions.

However, countries in the global South generally face significant challenges, including the digital divide, a lack of professional skills, and inadequate infrastructure. He emphasized that to fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence, increased investment in digital facilities is required, and the public must be provided with high-level digital skills training. Global cooperation is crucial, and increased investment in digital infrastructure in developing countries is necessary to ensure widespread access to advanced digital skills. The World Digital Technology Academy's "DigiBridge Digital Talent Development Program" is a key initiative addressing this challenge.

2.The Importance of Educational Transformation and International Cooperation

Mr. Kah strongly emphasized that the core goal of education is to nurture talents with both practical abilities and innovative breakthroughs, which calls for flexibility and foresight in education policies. The WDTA Education Council is fully committed to bridging the global skills gap, ensuring that technological progress benefits all people while upholding human rights principles.

Finally, Mr. Kah called for closer international cooperation in light of current complex challenges, urging deeper collaboration in AI research, policy formulation, and education. He expressed the hope that global industry partners will join hands with WDTA to build an AI regulatory system, safeguard the ethical boundaries of digital technologies, defend the right to quality education, and promote lifelong learning to adapt to technological iterations.