Can AI work for everyone? ITU’s Fred Werner on closing the global AI gap

On the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, GZERO Media’s Tony Maciulis sits down with Fred Werner of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to discuss the opportunities and risks shaping the next phase of artificial intelligence.

Werner argues that expanding the benefits of AI globally will require more than simply widening access to the technology. Countries also need the data, connectivity, skills, standards, and safeguards to put AI to meaningful use, particularly as governments grapple with questions around safety and governance. Central to that challenge is closing the global AI skills gap and ensuring people have the knowledge to use these tools responsibly and solve local problems.

Werner also discusses how ITU is putting that approach into practice through its AI Skills Coalition, including a new initiative providing 100,000 digital training scholarships. The goal, he says, is to move beyond the promise of AI and give more people around the world the skills and resources to benefit from it.

This conversation is part of GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, bringing together leaders and experts to discuss the major issues shaping our world.