On June 6th, 2024, YMCA Europe hosted an insightful webinar titled “AI in the Modern World: Benefits, Risks, and Ethical Considerations.”
The event featured guest speakers Léa Ichikawa, Social Impact Manager at The Digital Collective (DigiCo) Brussels, and Artur Papyan, Co-founder at CyberHUB-AM.
The webinar was facilitated by Samanta Christian, YMCA Europe Partnership Officer, and brought together participants from various sectors to explore the multifaceted implications of AI in our daily lives and the education sector.
Key Insights and Discussions
Understanding Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) Impact and Limitations
Artur Papyan delved into AI’s extensive integration into everyday activities, highlighting its role in powering social media feeds and search engines. He discussed Google’s experiments with generative AI, which, despite its potential to generate new content and assist with tasks like data analysis, can also produce incorrect information.
Artur emphasized the limitations of AI, such as its lack of consciousness and inability to understand meaning, warning against overreliance on the technology. He also raised concerns about privacy, the risks of applying AI trained on specific demographics broadly, and the growing cybersecurity threats posed by AI-enabled deepfakes.
AI in Education and Training
Léa Ichikawa focused on AI’s transformative potential in education and training. She highlighted how AI can enhance learning opportunities and help overcome literacy barriers.
Léa stressed the importance of equitable access to AI technologies and the necessity of inclusive training programs to ensure widespread AI literacy. The discussion also covered the need for ethical policies in AI education.
The session concluded with a Q&A, addressing the benefits and risks associated with AI in education.
Resource Sharing:
Léa shared DigiCo’s handbook on equitable and safe AI tools for educators and the Practical Handbook for Trainers, highlighting inclusion, accessibility, and critical thinking.
Artur provided the ISO guidelines on AI management systems to ensure responsible AI use and internal risk mitigation policies.
Conclusion
The “AI in the Modern World” webinar highlighted the importance of understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations, the need for ethical guidelines, and the value of collaboration and inclusivity.
With the expertise of Léa Ichikawa and Artur Papyan, and the facilitation of Samanta Christian, the event provided valuable insights and set the foundation for future actions aimed at responsibly harnessing AI’s potential in education and beyond.
