(MENAFN) The AI for Good Global Summit concluded in Geneva on Friday with a renewed commitment to harnessing artificial intelligence for practical, inclusive solutions to global challenges. Frederic Werner of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) described the initiative as having evolved significantly since its inception in 2017.

Werner, who leads strategic engagement at the ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, reflected on the summit’s origins, noting that it initially centered on the mixture of excitement, fear, and hope surrounding AI’s potential. “When AI for Good was created in 2017, it was very much based around ‘the hope, the fear of a promise, and the hype of AI,’” he said. “Central to its mission was always, how can we use AI to help solve the world’s most pressing challenges?”

This year’s event showcased a range of transformative applications, including voice-based diagnostics capable of detecting blood sugar levels and brain-computer interface technologies that allow nonverbal individuals to communicate using AI-generated replicas of their own voices. “These are life-changing technologies,” Werner said. However, he also cautioned about the implications: “If you can know how much sugar is in my blood, what else can you tell with my voice? Am I telling the truth right now? You might not know. So that raises all types of ethical questions.”

Werner pointed to the broader relevance of brain-computer interface tools, emphasizing their potential beyond healthcare. “A lot of these non-invasive brain-computer interface technologies can tell how stressed you are and how tired you are. It can also be like a bit of a coach that could help you get through your life,” he said.

He stressed that global cooperation and the development of international standards are crucial to ensuring these emerging technologies are both effective and ethically sound.

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