This fall, the wave of innovation and technological advancement overwhelmed Armenia, and Global Innovation Forum 2019 entitled “Transforming Intelligence” (GIF19) was one of the key events which took place from 16 to 18 of October. The forum was co-organized by the Government of the Republic of Armenia and Armenian Scientific Diaspora Association (ASDA).
Text : Margarit Mirzoyan
“We used to look at humans, we looked at us through lenses of – I am what I am. In the era of technology, we look at us, I am what I want me to be. It is not an out of body fate, it is fate that is controlled by the specie itself. And, how now that physical and social construct changes when you apply Artificial Intelligence. How do we improve our bodies with new discoveries in genomics, genetics, and biotechnology in general?’’ said the Founding CEO of FAST Armen Orujyan.
The second GIF 19 was set to illustrate the impact of artificial intelligence technology on science and society from three perspectives: scientific, technological and industrial. The thought leaders and opinion makers of the sphere arrived in Armenia to share their expertise and participate in academic discussions and visionary debates. The forum started off with an interactive opening ceremony with a presence of AI and other distinguished speakers, namely, Armen Orujyan, Ruben Vardanian,a businessman and Co-Founder of FAST, Noubar Afeyanthe Founding CEO of Flagship Pioneering, and the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. The latter took the stage to make an important announcement. “I want to make a statement that relates to the very initial and traditional thinking. Before making this statement, I would like to invite the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Armenia Eric Grigoryan and the Founding CEO of FAST Armen Orujyan to the stage.” When everyone entered the stage, Mr. Pashinyan continued, “Our government has developed a very ambitious plan that should reach its peak on October 10, 2020. On this day, we plan to plant 10 million trees in the Republic of Armenia on the 10th day of the 10th month, which will symbolize the unity of 10 million Armenians around Armenian statehood, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Armenia. Thank you.”
***
In general, the forum had several primary goals: first, by means of state-of-the-art research, to expedite both global and local advancements, to contribute to the creation of a strong network between local and international specialists, industry giants, potential investors and governmental bodies, and finally, to boost the outreach and impact of the research and products presented by the participants.
The GIF followed two main tracks, namely Frontiers of AI and Science & AI. The first track covered the question whether AI can be used for the production of more accurate forecasting and have a positive impact on society. The second question under this track is where AL is in terms of having life-changing role in the important domains of human life. The discussion and debates were based on the following topics: AI for Forecasting Human Behaviour, AI in Agent-Based Systems, AI in Education, Computer Vision, Econophysics, Enabling Technologies and AI, Natural Language Processing, and Reinforcement Learning.
The second track focused on the ability of AI to transform the way we do science today and what the potential of AI is in the field of natural sciences. In particular, the participants discovered the following topics: AI in Astronomy, AI in Bioinformatics and Omics, AI in Biomolecular Structure and Function, AI in Chemistry, AI in Drug Design, AI in Materials Discovery, AI in Medical Diagnosis, and AI in Precision Medicine.
The forum was innovative in terms of its set up and structure as well. Through various session types in the futuristic atmosphere, the participants immersed into the world of AI. The discussion types followed the format of Visionary Talk, Keynote Presentation, Deep Insight, Industry Dialogue, New Voices and New Perspectives, Fishbowl session on Smart Earth and also session on Reshaping Innovation Ecosystems.
Around 90 scientists and field leaders from 20 countries arrived in Armenia to discuss the unprecedented technological advancement and their influence on humankind.
Such local and international high-tech industry leaders as Dr. David Yang, Founder and Chairman of ABBYY, and Hovhannes Avoyan, the Founding CEO of Picsart had their involvement in the Forum.
Overall, the Global Innovation Forum aims to host the brightest minds of today’s Innovative world in order to become a base for the collaboration of academia, industry, government and policy makers, local and international organizations and financial institutions. This year, the list of companies and institutions involved such names as Facebook AI, Google Brain and Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and Flagship Pioneering setting a base for the innovative discussions in Armenia on world level.
