AGU researchers highlight AI

Manama, Feb. 18 (BNA): A group of researchers recently emphasised on the importance of the Blockchain technology in improving transparency in transactions and overcoming obstacles to better serve humanity. The scholars confirmed that Blockchain plays a similar role to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the enhancement of effectiveness and errors’ reduction. At the same time, they pointed out that any technology could have positive and negative impacts on humans’ prosperity, depending on the method of use and the intentions behind it. This came during the Scientific Salon that was recently organsied by the College of Graduate Studies of the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) in cooperation with the Community Service Centre in the university. Speaking in the activity were Dr. Fatima Al Subai’ee from Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), and Professor Muneer Shehab from the Bahrain-based Artificial Intelligence Society. In her speech, Dr. Al Subai’ee introduced the attendees to the Blockchain technology, explaining that it is a digital transaction log distributed to all the network's regulating devices, where all its financially-valued belongings can be recorded and all transactions such as assets, stocks and jewelry could be performed, adding that the Blockchain label is applied to all devices that are subscribed to this system. Dr. Al Subai’ee explained further that the Blockchain technology could overcome time and geographical obstacles, and middlepersons and brokers, by trading through digital currencies. She also underlined that such transactions are documented and done in a transparent manner that could not be deregistered from the network, enhancing trust, transparency and documentation. The scholar added that the Blockchain technology can be utilised to establish a platform for the health sector in the Kingdom, clarifying that it is a platform that could carry huge data on the nature of diseases in the country and its medical needs, thus, she said a policy could be established in accordance with this data to secure the existing medical and therapeutic needs. Dr. Shehab spoke to the attendees on the "Big Data" and its role as a technological base of Artificial Intelligence. He said that the idea of Big Data is to record all patterns of human behaviours in all fields, then draw the main human characteristics that are related to human behaviours and needs, leading to the development of technologies that fulfill consumers’ needs. The participants and attendees in the Scientific Salon discussed several topics with relation to Artificial Intelligence such as how this technology could be embraced by the labour market and the main future jobs depending on it.