Designing better strategies, standing out from competitors, and gaining a deeper understanding of customers and of one’s own products are some of the benefits that artificial intelligence brings to business development and competitiveness.
Today it is used to automate processes, to programme machines to carry out high-volume tasks in less time than human beings; likewise, to capture and analyse information, and even for precise, timely medical diagnoses.
To imagine where AI will evolve and to understand its transformative power, the DNN Encounter held this Tuesday brought together experts in the field, who not only spoke about the advantages but also about the new opportunities it generates, as well as the ethics and responsibility involved in using this technology.
Alberto Monge, CTO of LIS Data Solutions; Stella Salvatierra, deputy director of DATAI and professor at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Navarra; David Aranguren, head of the Information and Communication Technologies team for National Projects at Zabala Innovation; and Ángela Bernardini, head of Innovation and Technological Transformation at NAIR Center, were the protagonists of the round table in which they explained their view of AI in the business sphere, noting that its impact on the economy and industry “is very large and affects a wide spectrum of companies”.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly present in companies, and the fact is that its implementation is revolutionising society despite being at a very early stage, as Stella Salvatierra explained: “We are in a development phase and it is going to have an impact on every aspect of society.”
Its widespread uptake indicates that “it has come to stay” and that we are heading “towards the mass adoption of a technology that can provide specific solutions to the problems we have today”, said David Aranguren.
For example, AI can bring many improvements to industry. Industrial robots use machine learning to improve production efficiency and reduce errors on the assembly line, in order to increase their production capacity.
In addition, AI is also used to expand the capabilities of these tools so that they can carry out increasingly complex tasks, from welding and assembling electronic components to complex surgeries with greater precision, control and less invasive procedures for the patient.
The advance of this technology was associated during the event with the implementation of the Internet. “Twenty-five or thirty years ago we said that the Internet would be a basic necessity, and the same will happen with this,” commented Stella Salvatierra.
The reality is that, today, Artificial Intelligence is set to become the cornerstone of the Internet in the coming years, and the big tech companies are already taking positions in this regard.
“We are going to see changes in the type of business and, above all, in how that business is sold. Each company, in a different way, will have to learn to adapt,” said Ángela Bernardini. AI is revolutionising companies’ production processes, and its possibilities have increased exponentially in just a few months.
Numerous start-ups have already incorporated this technology. Alberto Monge cited fashion firms that use it “to understand their users’ tastes and to anticipate trends” as an example.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has left a significant mark on numerous fields, and medicine is no exception. With the advance of technology and the growing volume of medical data available, AI has shown its capacity to revolutionise healthcare. From early diagnosis to medical research, artificial intelligence is delivering invaluable benefits. During the DNN Encounter, some of the most notable medical benefits that artificial intelligence can offer were explored, as Stella Salvatierra explained:
“A lot of mental-health trials are under way, and in this field it is going to have quite significant possibilities. There are various applications to improve and to know patients better.”
Another application is in precision medicine, which is becoming a reality thanks to artificial intelligence. AI algorithms can analyse patients’ genetic data and provide specific treatment recommendations based on individual characteristics. This enables the administration of more effective, personalised medicines, avoiding ineffective or harmful treatments. In addition, AI can also help doctors predict a patient’s response to a given treatment, allowing for more timely and precise adjustments.
“Personalised medicine is already a reality. We are working on it at the university,” said DATAI’s deputy director and professor at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Navarra, Stella Salvatierra.
This argument supports the Chartered Community’s commitment to personalised medicine, one of the priority axes of the S4, which positions Navarra as a pioneering region at national level in approving a comprehensive strategy in this area. In fact, it is emerging as one of the most dynamic biomedical clusters in Spain, and among the technological fields with a very high specialisation index, it is worth highlighting food chemistry, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
The encounter sought to answer the most common questions that arise from the implementation of this technology. For example, whether jobs may be affected. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 14% of jobs worldwide could be affected by the irruption of Artificial Intelligence, and it is necessary to be aware of the risks involved in these technologies in order to have responses ready that will minimise and manage them as effectively as possible.
“It is true that there is risk, but there are also opportunities. It will transform jobs but create many others,” said Alberto Monge, who also explained that it is not always possible or desirable to incorporate it into a given job, whether for reasons of efficiency, ethics or legality.
Another of the issues present in this field is the absence of a law to regulate it, as Bernardini explained: “We do not have legislation. We are moving so fast that it is difficult for scientists and politicians to agree, given the pace of progress in just a few months.”
In the absence of legislation, the European Parliament has presented a proposal for an Artificial Intelligence Act, the first in the world. The EU, which had been preparing this text for two years, has introduced changes following the irruption of the latest developments in generative AI, such as ChatGPT or Midjourney.
Bernardini explained that the proposed law will enter into force in 2025 and will prohibit the deployment of certain practices, such as the use of facial recognition in public places—that is, any algorithms that classify people in one way or another—and establishes basic rules based on levels of risk ranging from “minimal” to “unacceptable”.
The AI Act will prohibit remote biometric identification systems “in real time” in publicly accessible spaces; biometric categorisation systems that use sensitive characteristics (such as race or gender); predictive policing systems (based on profiles, location or past criminal behaviour); and emotion-recognition systems in law enforcement, border management, the workplace and educational institutions.
Lastly, the close of the encounter, moderated by the journalist and presenter Alberto Guzmán, focused on the challenges facing society in the face of the abrupt appearance of artificial technology and the absence of a legislative framework to regulate it.
“There are a great many ethical challenges and cooperation between governments and companies is necessary, even if we are behind,” commented Aranguren. Picking up on this, Ángela Bernardini asked…
