第7回アフリカ開発会議（TICAD7）の公式サイドイベントにて、2020年度に国際情報学部に就任予定の須藤修（現 東京大学大学院情報学環 教授）がパネルディスカッション『防災分野におけるAIの活用』のモデレーターを務めました

2019年8月29日、第7回アフリカ開発会議(TICAD7)の公式サイドイベントとして、外務省と国際連合教育科学文化機関（UNESCO）の共催で、アフリカのAIの展望と課題及びUNESCOのAIにおける役割に関するパネルディスカッション『防災分野におけるAIの活用』が開催されました。

2020年度に国際情報学部に就任予定の須藤修（現 東京大学大学院情報学環 教授）がセッション・モデレータを務め、パネリストにアフリカ、日本、UNESCOのAIの専門家を迎え、有識者、文化人、各種団体関係者、アフリカ各国の駐日大使等が集まり、アフリカの現状を踏まえつつ、防災を含めた様々な分野におけるAIの活用の可能性と展望について議論を行いました。

 

セッションの概略は以下の通りです。

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We have entered a new digital era, with the explosion of computing power, the multiplication of data volumes, the unprecedented capacity for learning through algorithms. This new era of artificial intelligence, is a technological revolution, but also an economic, social and of course ethical one, concerning all countries.

As the world’s second most populous continent, Africa is recognized as a region with great potential for development and a capacity to invent, inspire and innovate, including in the area of technologies. Japan is one of the leading nations in the area of technological developments and uses, and UNESCO, with its humanistic vocation, has always aligned with technological progress in the service of the common good, be it for education, culture, the sciences, communication or information. 

This TICAD side event will offer an overview of the state of AI development and uses in Africa, provide an synopsis of UNESCO’s work in this domain, including on in the area of ethics, awareness raising and capacity building, before diving into a particularly relevant topic of AI for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Africa, the continent that has experienced the fastest rate of increase in the incidence of natural disasters over the past few decades. Thus, there is a need to rethink strategies to manage and reduce natural disasters in Africa.

As a general-purpose technology, Artificial Intelligence, has a global impact. AI is and will be shaping the nature of businesses, jobs, education, and communication while leaving a lasting impact on communities worldwide. Its application for disaster risk reduction has already started to reap benefits, thus AI’s use to reduce and manage disasters must be utilized at its fullest potential.

Artificial Intelligence has applications at every stage of disaster management. Using AI in DRR in Africa can foster its capacity to mitigate disasters by reducing loss of lives and livelihoods and prevent infrastructure damage in a cost-effective manner. It can also expedite post-disaster recovery, allowing the disaster struck areas to regain their development potentials. 

This session will provide an overview of the African AI landscape and of highlights of UNESCO’s AI work, before showcasing concrete AI DRR applications, also addressing challenges and risks in the uses of AI.

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国際情報学部では、AIという情報技術を活用した施策を研究し、その研究成果を社会に還元する教員をはじめとして、「情報の仕組み」、「情報の法学」、及び「グローバル教養」の専門家である教員を揃えて、皆さまの入学をお待ちしております。