2024 Meridian Summit: Innovate to Dominate: Harnessing Technology for Geopolitical Edge  

From how wars are fought to how societies respond to and recover from natural disasters, innovation is driving change in domains large and small. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and fusion technologies are propelling advancements at lightning speed, and in doing so, influencing power dynamics, economic competitiveness, and humanitarian efforts. “Digital innovation is not new to our space, but AI is fundamentally changing it” explained Tanya Accone, UNICEF’s Senior Advisor on Innovation. This shift signals a transformation in how humanitarian and development goals can be achieved, with AI driving both predictive and responsive capacities on a scale never seen before. While the impacts of these advancements are just beginning to be felt, how governments, NGOs, IGOs, and even rouge entities harness these new technologies to respond to extreme weather events, improve agricultural practices or communicate with the public will have deep-seated ramifications for years to come.   

Top Takeaways

Both government and private sector have a responsibility to educate and upskill the public on the uses, and misuses, of artificial intelligence. Citizens today, along with governments and the private sector, make up the three pillars of AI governance. But to adequately serve their roles of both users and regulators of this emerging technology, populations need to be trained. From understanding the deceptive uses of AI to recognizing to detect whether data is AI-generated, our panelists agree that greater AI IQ will be fundamental as the technology continues to grow in use and application.
 
That said, artificial intelligence has a multitude of positive applications that can be agents of stability. Through multimodal data for instance, AI is transforming agricultural practices even in the most challenging environments. Dominic Delmolino, Vice President of Field Technology and Engineering at Amazon Web Services shared that 46,000 farmers in Ghana have access to an AI-powered regenerative farming interface. This application not only helps farmers better understand best practices for more sustainable, regenerative farming—making their farms more resilient to climate change while also lessening the negative agricultural impact to the environment–it is also actively analyzing data from multimodal streams such as satellite imagery and weather forecasts to inform farmers how to best time their agricultural cycles to reap optimal results. Such projects can have an acute impact on the stability and geopolitical realities on the ground for future generations. 

Next Steps

In the words of Accone, “AI holds the potential to reshape our approaches in development and crisis response, but it requires a coalition of government, private sector, and community stakeholders.” By fostering these partnerships and addressing data and literacy gaps, emerging technologies can serve as transformative tools for positive global impact. To harness the potential that this innovation wave brings, governments and intergovernmental organizations must prioritize equitable access to AI tools and data, ensuring underserved regions benefit from advancements.  

At present, lack of global data limits the full benefits of artificial intelligence. Addressing data gaps through partnerships with organizations on the ground, such as the United Nations and field-based agencies, could significantly improve AI’s efficacy in public health, agriculture, and disaster response. Furthermore, public and private sectors must educate communities on AI’s capabilities and limitations. As nations navigate this era of technological innovation, the continued focus on collaboration, ethical integration, and resilience against misinformation will be essential to maximizing benefits while safeguarding communities worldwide.