Influential Experts Explore Digital Tech At Knowledge Summit 2017

Digital innovation presents a slew of challenges and opportunities, as discussed at the fourth annual Knowledge Summit being held in Dubai on November 21-22, 2017.

Among the various conversations on the day, industry leaders delved on the digital revolution and its role in traditional and social media. The panel discussed topics including technology’s impact on the media, the rise of citizen journalism, social media as a source of income, and fake news.

Speaking on the UAE’s future, Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development said that the government is structured in a way that has put itself at the forefront of technological development. By investing in companies and entities with humanitarian values, the country is working towards empowering the youth and building an environment where they can lead better and more sustainable lives, underpinned by a changing digital landscape.

Building on Ms Al Kaabi’s comments, Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director, Dubai Media City pointed out how the UAE’s focus has shifted from attracting prominent international firms including Fortune 500 companies, to developing its own talent and creating its own businesses.

The leaders also highlighted the rise of fake news, stating that although it is still in its infancy, robots are now automatically generating fake content, and journalism is being reinvented. Ludovic Blecher’s Google Digital News Innovation Fund has been set up with this in mind, with the aim of developing new practices and business models in the realm of digital journalism. Will Moy, Director, Full Fact also expressed his concerns about fake news manipulating public opinion, and discussed how his company, an independent fact-checking charity, is tackling the problem through education and by providing free tools, information and advice so that anyone can check the claims they hear from politicians and the media.

While the digital revolution has presented challenges and dangers, Larry Birnbaum, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Advisor, Narrative Science expressed his excitement for its rise, particularly the development of automation, which he believes will lead to humans being free to do more interpersonal work, as well as make the world a richer, safer and more favorable place.

The Knowledge Summit 2017 looks back on the history of industrial revolutions and their impact on decision-making, as well as at the future effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and its results and achievements in sectors such as media, technology, education, healthcare and the economy.

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