From Initiative Applied Artificial Intelligence from the Universidad Austral And with institutional support from the IDB, the first meeting was organized. “AI Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges for LATAM” with the aim of building an interdisciplinary and interinstitutional network.
The objective of our University is to work, together with representatives from each sector of society, in the design and execution of strategies for the creation of value through AI, assessing opportunities, defining specific areas of action and identifying risks to contribute to the development of LATAM and its integration into the global ecosystem.
Through the attraction and integration of regional stakeholders, the proposal of the Universidad Austral It will allow the creation of regional work networks; position itself as a growth hub by participating in defining the region's demands and in generating capacities for value creation; and participate in the creation of a sustainable growth model for the region.
The meeting, which took place in the INTAL-IDB auditorium, featured opening remarks from rector of the Universidad AustralJulian Rodriguez. “We are convinced, based on experience—which you all also share—that Artificial Intelligence invites us to follow this path, and that complex problems are solved collaboratively, through networks, and in an interdisciplinary manner. Complex problems demand comprehensive, 360° perspectives.”, he stressed.
Regarding AI, Rodríguez stated: “It is a tool that opens up a horizon for us. It allows us to dream of solutions that we perhaps never imagined before, at a speed we never suspected. We have the opportunity, from Latin America, to create value by developing solutions that are highly localized in our country, in our region . ”
For her part, Ana Basco , director of INTAL-IDB , celebrated the initiative to create the network and announced: “At the IDB, we have approved the first loan focused on Artificial Intelligence to increase exports from the knowledge economy by concentrating on this technology. This loan for Argentina aims to create a Multidisciplinary Artificial Intelligence Center, which will allow us to develop solutions that take into account future market opportunities and strengthen the link between the scientific and technological sector and the productive sector . ”
Luis Aranda , an economist from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) , participated in the meeting via Zoom, explaining how the organization's network—which has more than 350 experts—works and what challenges and lessons they have learned.
Representatives from the different Faculties of Austral and numerous institutions participated in person, such as: UDESA, UCA, UBA, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Universidad Isalud, Dirección General de Escuelas Mendoza, UNTREF, DeepAgro, DESA, Fundación Konrad Adenauer, Globethics, CIECTI, Centro de Investigación en Economía y Prospectiva – INTA, Nexo consulting group, Openspirit, The Hive and SmC+.
With the aim of building an interdisciplinary network to solve high-impact problems in Latin America, the participants of the meeting worked in teams defining what the major concrete problems are that can be addressed with AI through the network and what knowledge, capabilities and disciplines need to be integrated.
“It’s extremely positive to bring together stakeholders from different fields to accurately determine which areas and problems Artificial Intelligence can be applied to and which it cannot. In other words, what are the limitations of Artificial Intelligence? It’s also important to conduct a study to determine the risks and the volume of information that AI involves in order to run the models. I’m referring especially to placing that information in the hands of governments. And in cases where it can be applied, it’s crucial to conduct a harm assessment. Everything related to risks is extremely important, especially those linked to people’s privacy.”Said Claudio Cavasotto, Scientific Director of the Institute of Applied Artificial Intelligence of the Universidad Austral and Principal Investigator of CONICET at the Institute of Translational Medicine Research of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences (Universidad Austral- CONICET).
Finally, Julian MagginiDDirector of the Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative of the Universidad Austral He emphasized the opportunity that exists with the arrival of AI: “We have an opportunity in the region to address complex problems that we can solve through a tool that is generating a revolution in knowledge. That is, to drive a transcendent change for our societies through knowledge. Artificial intelligence is a catalyst for change that presents itself as an enormous opportunity.”
Austral University is working on organizing an international launch event for the project, which will take place in April 2024. It will feature international guests and will allow the network to gain visibility and position itself as a driving force in the discussion about the region's opportunity in the AI revolution.
