The journey through the annals of scientific discovery is a vivid tapestry woven with eureka moments, epitomized by iconic incidents such as Newton’s fateful apple, Oersted’s decisive compass needle, and Fleming’s groundbreaking petri dish. For those entrenched in the vibrant realm of artificial intelligence research, the last decade has unfolded a series of transformative revelations. This issue of Dialogues brilliantly encapsulates these milestones, detailing everything from groundbreaking studies on protein folding to innovative strategies aimed at combating global warming. To comprehend the technology’s profound impact on our educational methodologies, workplaces, governance, and beyond, the accompanying infographics provide a compelling visual narrative.
Lila Ibrahim
Google DeepMind, Chief Operating Officer
Country of origin: USA
Currently based: United Kingdom
In 2020, Google DeepMind made an unprecedented stride in scientific advancement: the advanced artificial intelligence system known as AlphaFold was able to predict protein structures within minutes—a task that conventionally took years. This was a watershed moment in the sciences.
I vividly recall the instant realization—the culmination of our relentless investment, iterative design, and unwavering patience had birthed something remarkably beneficial for the global community. Proteins serve as life’s fundamental building blocks; grasping their structural arrangement is pivotal for advancing drug discovery, ensuring food security, and developing treatments for neglected diseases.
We have utilized AlphaFold to map an astounding 200 million proteins and have made this groundbreaking information freely available to the scientific community. Today, an impressive 2.2 million researchers spanning over 190 countries harness AlphaFold to address some of the most daunting challenges our world grapples with.
AlphaFold stands as a testament to AI’s immense capability to propel forward scientific discovery; undeniably, we have merely skimmed the surface of its potential to serve humanity in remarkable ways.
Saška Mojsilovic
Google, Senior Director, Researching Engineering AL/ML
Country of origin: Belgrade, Serbia
Currently based: USA
Thirty-five years ago, during my junior year in college, I enrolled in an introductory computer vision course that altered my perspective. We undertook a project that involved scanning a black-and-white photograph and subsequently developing an algorithm to analyze and delineate objects within that image. This experience sparked a thought that everything surrounding us—be it speech, music, written language, molecules, X-rays, meteorological patterns, or traffic—could be interpreted as patterns.
My realization was profound: if we could teach machines to perceive, then they could also learn to sense, hear, read, and engage in reasoning. The possibilities extended to identifying diseases such as cancer, formulating new compounds, and making accurate predictions regarding agricultural outcomes and natural disasters. In that era, computers operated at sluggish speeds, data was in limited supply, and algorithms were quite rudimentary. Yet, I was filled with wonder about the limitless possibilities that lay ahead.
Phil Venables
Google Cloud, Vice President, TI Security & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Currently based: USA
I realized the monumental potential of AI to revolutionize the world when I witnessed its transformative impact on cybersecurity. While cybercriminals may utilize AI to fortify their offensive tactics, we are witnessing firsthand how this technology is redefining the capabilities of those tasked with defending against cyber threats.
In cybersecurity, we have traditionally faced a daunting paradox: attackers only need to breach defenses once, while defenders must maintain vigilance at every turn. However, AI marks a pivotal shift toward favoring the defenders. This technology furnishes defenders with invaluable advantages, empowering them to analyze threats, detect vulnerabilities, and respond with extraordinary speed and efficacy. As with other groundbreaking technologies throughout history, AI presents both remarkable opportunities and unanticipated risks, but fundamentally, it enables us to stay one step ahead, fortifying a safer, more resilient digital landscape.
Mira Lane
Google, Senior Director of Technology & Society
Country of origin: Canada
Currently based: USA
Throughout my career, I have been a firm believer in technology’s transformative potential. However, as an artist and technologist, I once held the belief that the creative sector might be insulated from the extensive disruptions that technology often engenders. Yet, witnessing AI’s emergence as a collaborative partner—co-creating scripts, generating innovative imagery, and composing music—has illuminated the fact that storytelling itself is undergoing a metamorphosis.
The true enchantment unfolds when AI and human creativity merge across various disciplines, enabling us to explore narratives in unprecedented and surprising ways. Imagine the possibilities inherent in a world where we can all express our innate creativity more effortlessly; it would unlock new dimensions brimming with artistic potential. Collaborative ventures among technologists, artists, and storytellers are actively redefining the boundaries of possibility, thereby transforming how we perceive and engage with the world through creative expression.
Justin Tranter
Songwriter
Country of origin: USA
Currently based: USA
Engaging with Music AI Sandbox from Google DeepMind and YouTube has yielded two paramount revelations for me. The initial moment was tinged with trepidation—the fear that, if not thoughtfully managed, this development could spell further troubles for songwriters. Conversely, a wave of hope followed: these tools are so extraordinary that they not only enhance human creativity in generating new works but, if executed properly, could also establish a fresh revenue stream for songwriters’ existing catalogs. Envisioning a scenario where this technological advancement creates a mutually beneficial environment for songwriters fills me with optimism.
Fr. Paolo Benanti
Theologian; adviser to Pope Francis on AI and computer ethics; member, High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, United Nations
Country of origin: Italy
Currently based: Italy
One day, upon returning to my convent, I overheard an elderly friar engaged in a lively conversation with a smart speaker. The seamless manner in which he interacted with it, and the comfort he derived from discussing topics like the weather, history, and current events, awakened me to a profound realization: If AI could so effortlessly integrate into the life of a man from another century, someone who is scarcely familiar with this technology yet can engage effectively with computational power located thousands of miles away, it became evident that AI was poised to impact our daily lives significantly.
Connor Coley
Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science, MIT
Country of origin: USA
Currently based: USA
In 2017, I was engrossed in compiling results from a human-benchmarking comparison aimed at assessing a new neural network model designed for organic chemistry. Remarkably, this model accurately predicted the experimentally confirmed outcome of a complex chemical reaction, outperforming the collective efforts of ten Ph.D.-level chemists who had previously attempted the same without success. This breakthrough, while not as monumental as the advent of AlphaFold years later, illuminated the promising pathway of increasingly capable AI systems serving to navigate and enhance the intricacies of scientific processes.
Alondra Nelson
Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study; former acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Biden-Harris administration; member, High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, United Nations
Country of origin: USA
Currently based: USA
While drafting what ultimately became the White House’s 2022 Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, we dedicated nearly a year to engaging with diverse members of the American populace eager to share their perspectives on AI’s societal impact. One particularly poignant session involved a multiracial group of high school students from across the nation who dubbed themselves Encode Justice, passionately advocating for responsible, human-centric applications of AI.
These students articulated an urgent concern over potential future scenarios where facial recognition technology might become a prerequisite for accessing school buildings, classrooms, and portions of their curricula. As policymakers, our focus had been primarily on the ramifications of social media and algorithmic amplification on the mental well-being of young individuals. However, for these students, the fear of AI enabling a pervasive state of surveillance was paramount. The generation best positioned to experience the most profound impacts from AI is sending us a clear warning.
Seydina Moussa Ndiaye
Senior Lecturer at Cheikh Hamidou Kane Digital University; member, High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, United Nations
Country of origin: Senegal
Currently based: Senegal
My journey with artificial intelligence began during my first year of master’s studies in 1994, when I recognized that AI represented the ultimate ambition of computer science. The epiphany crystallized in 1997 during my doctoral thesis, when I obtained results surpassing those achieved by agronomic specialists regarding winter wheat cultivation by employing a blend of reinforcement learning techniques alongside genetic algorithms.
Lerrel Pinto
Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University
Country of origin: India
Currently based: USA
Meaningful change in everyday life necessitates liberating individuals from tedious, laborious, or otherwise unwanted tasks, thereby permitting us to concentrate on what truly matters. Although robotics has historically lagged behind other domains of AI, such as natural language processing, recent advancements have unveiled a breakthrough dubbed zero-shot capabilities for robots. Remarkably, these robots can now seamlessly adapt to unfamiliar settings, such as a household, and execute complex tasks—like manipulating small objects or opening cabinets—with impressive accuracy, despite not having been programmed explicitly for those contexts.
This quiet revolution in robotics is poised to transform our daily lives, effectively bridging the gap between digitally driven intelligence and tangible, physical interactions.
Virginia Dignum
Professor of Computer Science, Umeå, Sweden; member, High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, United Nations
Country of origin: Portugal
Currently based: Sweden
I became convinced that AI would not dramatically alter our existence when discussions surrounding existential risks emerged as focal points regarding its future. AI will not serve as a catalyst for fundamental change; instead, it compels us to recognize the intrinsic value of our shared humanity. The capabilities of AI underscore the irreplaceable importance of human qualities such as creativity, empathy, and moral judgment. The onus of responsibility for AI’s impact resides with us, not the technology itself. AI does not happen to us; we are the architects of its development.
Tilman Becker
Director, RICAIP Centre for Advanced Industrial Production at the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics, and Cybernetics (CIIRC)
Country of origin: Germany
Currently based: Czech Republic
I have experienced multiple eureka moments throughout my journey: The first was four decades ago during my initiation into AI as a student. Another striking moment occurred approximately thirty years ago when I spoke into an early prototype of the Verbmobil system, which I was developing at DFKI, and received an instantaneous spoken translation from German to English—a truly astonishing experience, even for someone well-versed in the system’s workings. More recently, over ten years ago, I came to the realization that AI had become so thoroughly integrated that it had become an essential tool of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Ultimately, in late 2022, I encountered ChatGPT for the first time. Despite its obvious limitations, the sight of a system generating coherent and articulate language left me utterly astonished.
Sayan Chakraborty
Co-President, Workday; former member, National AI Advisory Committee
Country of origin: India
Currently based: USA
My journey with artificial neural networks (ANNs) began in 1989 during my graduate studies at MIT. My aspiration was to apply ANNs to robots designed for satellite repair. However, my efforts with the neural network intended for controlling a robotic arm ended in disappointment, prompting me to set aside ANNs as a mere curiosity. Fast forward to 2012: deep-learning ANNs, far more advanced than my initial attempts, began clinching victories in image recognition competitions, revealing immense potential for the future. The advent of graphics processors (GPUs) initially aimed at gaming dramatically enhanced performance possibilities. However, it wasn’t until late 2020, after an intriguing discussion with a colleague about the Google paper titled “Attention Is All You Need,” that everything finally clicked into place. The long-elusive components—robust GPUs, the attention-transformer framework, cloud-based computing, and the abundant training datasets online—had converged, revealing that this transformative revolution was occurring in real-time.
Ayanna Howard
Dean of Engineering, The Ohio State University; member, National AI Advisory Committee
Country of origin: USA
Currently based: USA
In the early 2000s, my focus was on crafting a neural network framework to guide Mars rovers through treacherous terrains over long distances. After enduring numerous field trials here on Earth, during which my robot exhibited baffling, sometimes perilous driving choices, I had a profound realization: why should teaching a robot to drive differ fundamentally from instructing a teenage driver? This was my epiphany. I recognized that the true value proposition of AI lies in fostering a synergistic bond between humans and machines, and that if AI continues to evolve with an emphasis on prioritizing human-centric design, it holds the potential to truly transform our world.
Rahaf Harfoush
Digital anthropologist and author; member, High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, United Nations
Country of origin: Syria/Canada
Currently based: France
While exploring AI’s capabilities to revolutionize our engagement with ideas, I began experimenting with various personas. These personas synthesized expertise from diverse domains to respond to my inquiries. In the course of this experimentation, I inadvertently created what I dubbed a “super partner”—a compelling amalgamation of insights from a Zen monk’s wisdom, a strategist’s sharp intellect, a therapist’s framework, and a coach’s practical abilities. To my astonishment, the effectiveness of this system was remarkable.
Not only was it providing answers; it adeptly synthesized advice in a manner that felt personal and multidimensional. This experience heralded a completely fresh approach for us as humanity—not just to access knowledge, but to engage with it, remixing it and blending it in unprecedented ways, sparking innovative connections. This insight ignited my curiosity—the realization that AI could empower us to create, think, and solve problems by harnessing the full spectrum of human intellect in ways previously deemed impossible.
Paula Goldman
Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer, Salesforce; member, National AI Advisory Committee
Country of origin: USA/Singapore
Currently based: USA
During the 2022 holiday season, I anticipated that conversations with friends would focus predominantly on festive matters. To my surprise, the discussions revolved around AI—its potential ramifications for their legal practices or journalism careers. As I diligently tracked milestones in AI development—from detecting early cancer signs to testing self-driving vehicles—this change in dialogue struck me. We find ourselves on the cusp of a seismic shift in our interaction with technology in the workplace, witnessing its evolution from a mere tool to a dynamic partner. While this transformation carries both immense promise and inherent risks, it is vital to underscore the necessity of keeping human considerations at the forefront of this evolution.
Richard Zhang
Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Simon Fraser University
Country of origin: China
Currently based: Canada
Holger Hoos
Alexander von Humboldt Professor of AI, RWTH Aachen University (Germany); Professor of Machine Learning at Universiteit Leiden (the Netherlands); Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia (Canada)
Country of origin: Germany
Currently based: Germany
Craig Ramlal
Head of the Control Systems Group, University of the West Indies at St. Augustine; member, High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, United Nations
Country of origin: Trinidad & Tobago
Currently based: West Indies
I was genuinely taken aback upon discovering that language models could generate coherent, rational sentences. This revelation implied that, for the first time, a non-human entity possessed the capacity to approximate logical reasoning across various domains. Furthermore, it dawned on me that we may one day rely heavily on these systems, granting them a measure of autonomy and trusting their decisions—potentially reshaping how humanity interacts with and perceives technology. I foster hope that the architects of AI’s triumphant progress—the original thinkers—will steer its research, application, and integration toward serving the greater good.
Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez
Member, High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, United Nations; Commissioner at the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain; AI Expert at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
Country of origin: Mexico
Currently based: Mexico
Since embarking on the Blue Brain Project in 2005, I have been both captivated and concerned about technological advancements and their ethical and legal implications. It became apparent to me at that time that—akin to the discovery of gunpowder and the splitting of the atom—artificial intelligence is destined to be the defining technology of our present and future generations. Drawing from my extensive experience in the realms of peace and security, I have foreseen that AI poses significant, potentially existential, risks to humanity if not governed properly and on a global scale. This conviction fuels my dedication to this endeavor. Ultimately, our collective aim must be to ensure that we can harness the myriad advantages of AI fairly while judiciously managing its risks to promote the welfare and security of all humankind.
What ethical considerations should be prioritized when developing AI systems to ensure they reflect shared values and inclusivity?
Quences of text. My realization came when I explored how these models could not only understand context but also produce creative and relevant responses. This perspective shift allowed me to appreciate the capabilities of AI in diverse sectors, from education to healthcare, where they can assist in decision-making and enhancing communication. The possibilities for how these technologies can augment our understanding and interactions with the world around us are incredibly vast and exciting.
As we navigate the implications of AI in society, it is crucial to maintain a focus on the ethical considerations underpinning its development and deployment. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and engaging with voices from the community, especially those of the youth, will ensure that we build AI systems that reflect our shared values and promote inclusivity. The journey of AI is just beginning, and it’s our responsibility to guide its trajectory toward a future that benefits everyone.
