Growing up in rural South Africa, Tshilidzi Marwala first learned about engineering from his grandmother's handmade clay pots. Now rector of the United Nations University, the Under-Secretary-General is a vocal advocate of using artificial intelligence (AI) for good.
"I would not trust AI. You are not supposed to trust AI. You are supposed to use it, always doubt it, always verify what it tells you, cross validate, so that you can be able to use it responsibly."
Education has been a driving force throughout Tshilidzi Marwala's life, alongside the seismic transitions he has witnessed in his native country and around the world. "We [returned to South Africa just after the end of apartheid] and then we realized that freedom is beautiful… Democracy is a beautiful concept, but it's a very difficult journey. It's not an overnight thing."
With a doctorate in neural networks among his many academic achievements, the UNU rector is familiar with the architecture behind the current rapid developments in AI. In this episode, he reflects on the intersection of political freedom, education and technology, and shares why digital literacy is among the most important skills of our age.
"[AI is] making health accessible to people ... if you look at issues of food production, zero hunger is a reasonable goal. You know, I think AI can play a big role."
Edited transcript, photos, multimedia and more at the AAN website: https://www.un.org/en/awake-at-night/s13-tshilidzi-marwala-use-ai-responsibly-for-a-better-world
Podcast full video available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y1Kh_BzIV7A