The rise of the robots
How decentralized AI will transform our society
Emad Mostaque, Founder of Stability AI and CEO of Schelling AI, delivered a convincing keynote, advocating for a future where decentralized AI empowers individuals and nations alike to ensure equitable access to this transformative technology, ultimately increasing the collective intelligence of humanity.
“AI allows us to do more things, as everyone has access to an army of really intelligent graduates at their fingertips,” said Mostaque, as he addressed hundreds of delegates.
He took to the stage on day 1 of the summit to talk about ‘the future of decentralised Al’, alongside a host of other local and global speakers at the Sandton Convention Centre.
“This isn’t something we thought would happen quite so quickly, even those of us in the industry, running these big computers,” he said.
“This technology should be open and free,” Mostaque declared, as he shared his experience in building a powerful supercomputer using open-source communities. Mostaque stressed the importance of decentralising AI, warning against the dangers of black-box models controlled by a few entities. “We cannot afford to have technology that drives our living and supports our living controlled by a few,” Mostaque said. “We have to decentralise it. We have to open it up. We cannot have black boxes.”
The rise of the robots.
Within the next decade, most, if not all, of you are going to have a robot in your home and you’re going to think that this is perfectly normal. You might see it as an appliance, a computer, a tool, or maybe as a friend,” said Prof. Benjamin Rosman, who is a Professor of Machine Learning and Robotics at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Prof. Rosman was joined on stage by the Go2 quadruped robot from Unitree, which the summit organisers have named Murphy. “It’s predicted, that by 2030 there will be 1.3 million such dog robots produced annually,” he revealed.
The four-legged robot uses sensors like cameras and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to build a 3D map of its surroundings, allowing it to understand its environment and avoid obstacles safely. This advanced perception is coupled with improved interactive capabilities, allowing for more natural and engaging interactions between humans and robots.
With a battery life of 2-4 hours and a top speed of approximately 5 meters/second, this robot is built for endurance and agility. It can perform a variety of dynamic movements, from jumping and stretching to shaking hands and even pouncing, as Prof. Rosman demonstrated on stage in front of summit delegates. In this way, Murphy can navigate human environments, climb over obstacles, and walk on different types of terrain. Such robots are being used around the world to monitor and inspect oil rigs and factories, as an example.
The robot’s onboard computing power maintains its balance and stability while performing these dynamic movements, without needing to rely on external computing hardware. This level of mobility, flexibility, and self-contained computing power represents an advancement in robotics hardware that enables robots to better adapt to and interact with human spaces and various tasks.
“We’re finally at the point where digital and physical realities are merging and doing so in a really meaningful way,” said Prof. Rosman in closing.
Other highlights included:
- Convergence or physical and virtual tabled by Cathy Hackl
- People have to be at the center of AI. – Dr Mark Nasila
- The overall consensus was to future-proof Africa.
We have seen how the first conversations have moved from AI and its ethical implications, the potential benefits and risks of AI, including issues such as bias, job displacement, and autonomous weapons all the way to climate change and technological solutions
This year the Singularity Summit 2024 amps it up a notch to discuss how technology continues to automate tasks, how the nature of work is rapidly changing, and most importantly how to develop an Africa, that is not only tech-competent but future-ready at the necessary precipice.
