Emerging Technologies

Why composite AI in the Intelligent Age leads us to a people-centred future

An AI generated image of blue bubbles/watter droplets on blue ribbon with blue background: The Intelligent Age demands a shift from isolated AI models to composite AI systems

The Intelligent Age demands a shift from isolated AI models to composite AI systems Image: iGenius

Uljan Sharka
Chief Executive Officer, iGenius
This article is part of: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
  • The Intelligent Age demands a shift from isolated AI models to composite AI systems, fostering global partnerships that integrate regional strengths and ethical principles to tackle complex challenges.
  • By combining specialized capabilities across industries and regions, composite AI enables adaptable, inclusive solutions that address pressing issues such as climate change, healthcare and economic inequality.
  • Establishing global ethical and regulatory frameworks for composite AI ensures transparency, fairness and sustainability, empowering diverse communities and fostering equitable innovation worldwide.

As we enter the Intelligent Age, a period defined by interconnected technologies and adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) systems, it is clear that AI's future will be collaborative.

The rise of composite AI – systems built from multiple specialized AI models working together to solve complex problems – marks a shift from isolated AI applications to integrated, multi-modal solutions.

This approach highlights the importance of combining regional strengths, ethical standards and diverse AI capabilities to address pressing global challenges such as climate change, economic inequality and public health.

Composite AI can be a foundation for this new era, fostering collaboration across borders and industries. Focusing on this unique approach can harness a more collaborative era in which we put people first rather than technology.

Have you read?

The Intelligent Age: A collaborative future for AI

To succeed in the Intelligent Age, collaboration must be at the forefront. No single organization, country or industry can meet the full spectrum of needs in this complex landscape. Instead, the focus must shift toward creating partnerships that blend complementary strengths and foster interoperability and equally distributed control.

Composite AI provides a framework for building powerful systems that are responsive to country—and sector-specific demands. Unlike singular AI models that focus on specific tasks, composite AI is designed to work together. It combines specialized AI capabilities—such as language, vision, and data science models—into a cohesive system capable of addressing complex, multidimensional problems.

This approach allows for adaptability in various contexts, accommodating different languages, cultures and regulatory frameworks. For instance, a composite AI system designed for healthcare could integrate image recognition for diagnostics, natural language processing for patient records and predictive analytics for treatment recommendations.

This approach has three primary benefits:

  • Cross-industry versatility: By integrating various specialized AI capabilities, composite AI can address needs across industries.
  • Ethical and responsible AI development: Composite AI’s adaptability allows adherence to diverse ethical standards and regulatory frameworks.
  • Distributed control and open market: A decentralized system empowers everyone to be creators, preventing monopolies and enabling transformative social change akin to the printing press era.

As AI becomes more integrated into our lives, ethical standards and trust will be paramount.

Framework for global collaboration in AI

Building a global AI ecosystem based on collaboration requires a framework that fosters shared values, cross-border alliances and mutual respect for regional strengths.

Composite AI, by design, encourages collaboration by allowing different regions and industries to contribute their expertise, whether in regulatory insight, technological innovation or ethical governance.

Countries and regions can leverage their strengths to contribute to the global AI landscape in several ways:

  • Regulatory leadership: Some regions have established comprehensive data privacy standards e.g. the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), that prioritize user rights and ethical AI. Such frameworks can be models for global AI policy, emphasizing trust and responsibility.
  • Industry-specific expertise: Industries' specialized knowledge can enhance composite AI’s capabilities. E.g. Healthcare’s focus on patient privacy and medical ethics can inform broader AI practices in handling sensitive data.

This collaborative approach enhances AI capabilities and strengthens the global economy by encouraging sustainable, responsible innovation. Industries and regions that share expertise and resources are better equipped to tackle challenges collectively, achieving results that would be unattainable in isolation.

Loading...

Ethics and trust as cornerstones

As AI becomes more integrated into our lives, ethical standards and trust will be paramount. Composite AI presents an opportunity to build systems that adhere to ethical principles while remaining adaptable to the varied regulatory environments of different regions.

Creating shared standards for composite AI is essential for fostering global trust. These standards should emphasize the following:

  • Data privacy and security: Ensuring that AI systems protect user data and operate transparently, in line with regional privacy standards such as GDPR.
  • Fairness and inclusivity: Addressing bias and ensuring that AI systems are equitable, serving diverse populations and minimizing unintended harms.
  • Environmental responsibility: Given AI’s potential environmental impact, standards should include guidelines for sustainable practices, energy efficiency and resource optimization.

Incorporating ethics also serves underrepresented communities by allowing adaptability to their specific needs. However, it would require a commitment to diversity in AI design, ensuring that solutions are inclusive and culturally relevant.

Fostering global equity

Collaboration means creating AI systems that uplift all regions and demographics, fostering an inclusive approach to technology that prioritizes equity.

The Intelligent Age envisions a future where cooperation is the driving force behind AI development. Investing in composite AI and global alliances can build an intelligent, inclusive, and resilient future. To realize this vision, we must prioritize:

  • Positioning countries as global AI leaders: By leveraging unique strengths, regions can lead in ethical, effective AI. Composite AI integrates these contributions into a global framework, ensuring equitable benefits for all.
  • Establishing global standards for composite AI: Global guidelines that align with universal values can be a foundation for responsible and effective AI, ensuring transparent composite AI systems that operate with integrity.
  • Developing global AI-ready talent: Investing in education and training on multi-modality, ethics and interoperability will empower future leaders and build a skilled workforce that builds and manages composite AI systems.

The Intelligent Age represents a shift towards a more interconnected, collaborative approach to AI.

Composite AI, with its diverse capabilities and regional adaptability, offers a powerful framework for addressing complex global challenges. By embracing collaboration, shared ethical standards and localized intelligence, we can shape an AI future that is innovative, trustworthy, inclusive and aligned with the values of diverse communities worldwide.

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Fourth Industrial Revolution

Related topics:
Emerging TechnologiesGlobal Cooperation
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Fourth Industrial Revolution is affecting economies, industries and global issues
World Economic Forum logo

Forum Stories newsletter

Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter.

Subscribe today

How AI can help combat mis- and disinformation about migration

Marie McAuliffe

December 18, 2024

Reconciling tradition and innovation: Japan's path to global AI leadership

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum