Last Week on Earth with GARI

We’re excited to launch a new series of shorter podcast episodes where we give you a deeper look into what is happening right now globally and regionally and GARI’s insights into it. GARI’s digital twin of the globalised world enables us to do complex analyses and have valuable insight into topics we deal with. Today we delve into the changing landscape of global interconnectedness, regionalization of trade, investment, technological exchange and a close look at China, Russia and Europe.With your hosts: GARI’s Executive Director Odessa Primus and Founder Michal Koran and this is Last Week on Earth with GARIGlobal decoupling until now has been pretty foggy, however, this is changing and we’re now seeing a world that is deeply fragmented - in which sectors is this most prominent and what should we be looking out for?Europe will have difficulty finding its place in the sun in this new world - what are the circumstances for Europe and how does it differ from other regions?Is Europe responding to new trends, challenges and opportunities? Why is Europe still lagging and in which areas is it most urgent?How would you describe the new trajectories of Russia and China since the invasion?What are China and Russia doing to diversify their trade and how does it compare to Europe’s efforts?What are the regional differences in Europe and how does that impact the politics, economics and society within the regions and Europe as a whole?What should Europe be paying attention to right now and what should be done?If you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

Today we’re chatting with intelligence expert Joanna Bryson on:The definition of intelligence, artificial and natural? AI as an efficiency toolPutting AI products into ordinary product lawHow do we perceive the global bi-polar AI situation?Why Google and Apple don’t patent that muchChina, Russia, Iran, the EU - who, what, and why?with degrees in social and computer sciences from Chicago, Edinburgh, and MIT, Bryson’s research appears in venues from Reddit to Science, and she advises companies, governments, transnational agencies, and NGOs globally, particularly in AI policy. Since February 2020, Joanna has been a Professor of Ethics and Technology at Hertie School, a governance university in Berlin.Enjoy, share and subscribe!https://globari.org/podcasthttps://www.linkedin.com/company/global-arena-research-institute/https://globari.org/If you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

Today we are welcoming back Sebastian Hallensleben to talk about the new perception of the EU, the imprecision of the Commissions regulations on AI, the level of technological understanding amongst EU commissioners, the challenges that poses, funding innovation and more.How does interdisciplinary and inter-sector dialogue work in the EU? The European Commission is working on AI regulation, and the regulations are quite imprecise but will eventually have a significant impact on the way we handle AI in EuropeIn European politics, there are parties that ultimately strive to work towards some sort of compromise and parties that don’tThe debates happen on different levels because of the different levels of technological know-how. Corporations try to come in and explain AI which can affect European policy-making sovereigntyIf you look at history, despite the many faults the European Union has, it has always been a success modelEurope has to be cautious of the uncertainties of other countries, such as the US or RussiaThe EU discusses autonomy and sovereignty as a geo-strategic balanceTiming of AI regulation is importantThe EU needs to have a discussion about its own resilience and its institutions. What happens if a bad actor comes into play?The importance of democratic discourse. Government is not just a “service provider”. The government is shaped by its citizensBiggest challenge right now is building an infrastructure of trust in the digital space. How can I avoid being manipulated by AI entities? Setting up privacy and identity protection. Government shouldn’t run these protections but sponsor them.The need for funding for new ideas in the digital spaceSebastian Hellensleben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianhallensleben/GARI: https://globari.org/If you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

2022 AI Index Report by Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI The AI Index is an independent initiative. The annual report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data relating to artificial intelligence, enabling decision-makers to take meaningful action to advance AI responsibly and ethically with humans in mind.The latest edition includes data from a broad set of academic, private, and nonprofit organizations as well as more self-collected data and original analysis than any previous editions, including an expanded technical performance chapter, a new survey of robotics researchers around the world, data on global AI legislation records in 25 countries, and a new chapter with an in-depth analysis of technical AI ethics metrics.Our guest today, Nestor Maslej is a Research Associate at the Institute and worked directly on the report.We discuss many of the marvelous examples of how AI is used around the globe as well as trends, breakthroughs and difficulties AI development has experienced in the last year. “If we are to get the most out of AI, to build AI systems that are capable of really enriching humanity’s potential, then we’re going to have to figure out a way to build them so they align with fundamental human values”What is "human-centered AI"?Unexpected consequences of AI developmentHow is the AI Index Report  created?  Problems of AI - like image recognition Trends in AI in the past 5 years - what has changed structurally?What to say at a dinner party if AI comes up - your spiel exploring 3 big AI trends:1. AI is getting faster and cheaper2. Data is becoming increasingly necessary for building the best IA systems3. legislative interest in AI is skyrocketing Top countries passing AI legislatureThe big question: When can we develop AI systems that are capable of thinking like a human can think? Global Arena Research Institute is an independent, non-partisan research organisation that combines the most advanced methods of AI-driven data, scientific and other artificial reasoning capabilities, elevating data science into completely new levels of opportunity. Our goal is to provide unprecedented insights into the nature, impact, and management of globalization in order to improve institutional and governmental as well as business, energy and other sectors’ decision making. Our mission is to make the most of organically connecting AI-level reasoning capacities with the human-level critical reasoning capacities for the sake of a better future.With your hosts Odessa Primus and Michal KoranIf you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

"There are no autonomous weapons, only autonomy in weapons systems"Frank Sauer is a Senior Research Fellow at Bundeswehr University Munich and the Head of Research at the Metis Institute for Strategy and Foresight. He currently serves as a senior advisor on the International Panel on the Regulation of Autonomous Weapons (iPRAW) and as a subject matter expert in the commission on the responsible use of technologies in the European ‘Future Combat Air System’ (FCAS). He is also a leading member of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC), one of the founding NGOs of the ‘Campaign to Stop Killer Robots’. He regularly sits with the UN on discussions around nuclear, cyber, and autonomous weapons.Autonomous weapons, where we are now, what are the biggest misconceptions, where is it all heading, what are the challenges, the opportunities, the whole shebang.Language, paradigms, the way you shape and make regulation How do countries act and who's the biggest spoiler state in Geneva at the UN table?Unprecedented formulated position by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the guardian of international humanitarian law, rules and regulations on how to conduct warfareIs there a timeframe of when there could be a technological breakthrough that could render the international law frame useless?Use of AI - an enabling technology, and object recognition and sensor data fusionHow is advancement in AI reflected in advancement in applied AI in defense? When will this advance?Why do private-sector companies not want to be involved in military innovation? How can the human foresee what the weapon will be doing? How can the human administer it? How can we trace back the responsibility of handing over the controls over the critical functions to the machine?  Responsible use of autonomous weapons systemsThe role of philosophy and sociology - is there a philosophy, or change in human behaviour and our perception of it, coming out from the development and discussions around autonomous weapons systems?Are people at international tables, at the UN, struggling with new information and new expertise and the need to discuss it and decide what should be regulated, but even just understand what they’re talking about? How long does it take for everyone to be on the same page? What will happen in the next 30 years? What will the development be and what will the conversation be?The Global Arena Research Institute specializes in high-level research & analysis using big data and AI. In our podcast, we bring you experts from various fields for fascinating and useful discussions.If you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

Today I’m chatting with Florian Neukart from Terra Quantum about all things quantum, what is quantum physics and technology, how can it be applied and what will it look like in the automotive, medical,  pharmacy, finance, and energy sectors, and why is combining the first and second quantum revolutions exciting?To see more of the transcript, please see the transcript ;)What is quantum computing? Where did it start?Difference between referring to quantum physics, science, and computing?What is the coolest thing about quantum technology to you?How much of quantum physics is already understood? Quantum sensors are way more powerful than we have today. Let’s say with vehicles, self-automated vehicles, sensors are very receptive to environmental influences, it cannot see through rain, snow, or fog. We need new sensors. Quantum radar systems can see through all this. Cryptography is the third pillar of quantum. Quantum algorithms have the potential to crack current encryption. What does Terra Quantum do?High-performance computing will still develop, it isn’t over just because quantum computing is here. Combining these two in terms of software is important. (from https://terraquantum.swiss/)Terra Quantum is a deep tech pioneer, developing revolutionary quantum applications to shape the technology of the future. Our international team of experts brings together the best minds from science, academia and industry to address the most fundamental questions of quantum physics and their manifestations in the world around us. We are building quantum technology for a better future, breaking down the barriers between science and industry, and laying the foundations of a real quantum tech ecosystem and value chain.Applications of quantum computing outside of the realms of technology - what can it improve in other sectors and industries?Material science - automotive industry, all production industries.Pharmacy - simulating drugs, simulate the molecule exactly  - how a molecule acts on a protein - if you can do that, you can find personalized treatment for every disease you can think of. Quantum computers can simulate all reactions - simulates what a particle does to any part of the body.Finance - trading, optimization of portfolios - here we’re at the border of what classical machines/computers can do.  You can save 240 million eur by running a quantum algorithm. Society - Environment and environmental problems - from energy (fusion). Quantum simulation is important.Carbon dioxide or monoxide extraction - material simulation, you can find materials that carbon monoxide can attach to well and make very powerful extractors. For fleets of vehicles or cities, that want to improve the traffic simulation, you can optimize traffic light switching and routing so that emission output is reduced, and delivery of goods and people is prioritized and optimized. The Global Arena Research Institute specializes in high-level research & analysis using big data and AI. In our podcast, we bring you experts from various fields for fascinating and useful discussions. Your host was Odessa Primus, Executive Director at Global Arena Research InstitutIf you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

Today’s podcast with Sebastian Hallensleben includes topics on the impact of generative AI with tools like deep fake, the future of platforms like Facebook and the creation of new platforms for constructive discourse, quantum computing, using a piece of the sun for energy on earth, and lastly, how to fund foundational research. Sebastian Hellensleben is the head of digitalization and AI at VDE, and works on concepts and infrastructures for trust in the digital space. Impact of generative AI - tools such as deep fakes - in the digital space. We haven’t yet understood it properly. Generative AI tools:- being able to create profiles of people that don’t exist- creating media for people that don’t exist- virtual influencers that can have followersThe contest of quantity between product promoters is who has more bots. How can we trust ratings? Democratic discourse: if we lose the digital space as a platform for discourse to bots, it’ll have a major impact on the ability of democratic systems to function.How to regulate this?Regulation is never going to turn platforms like Facebook into a forum for constructive discourse. And that’s something we really have to understand.So we have to look elsewhere and we need to create new kinds of platforms where constructive discourse can happen.You need to create different incentive mechanisms. Like to convince another person of your position, or to gather reputation if you're able to build consensus between groups of 20 or 30 other users.Where are platforms like Facebook heading? It is frightening that the owners of these platforms either haven't asked the question or there is no answer, to how these platforms can evolve in a more sustainable way. What technology are you excited about now?Quantum computing - because it’ll be more disruptive - it is certainly a very fascinating technology. It's hard to say are we 5 years or 50 away from breakthroughs. It shares that with much older technology like nuclear fusion. But the mere notion of being able to have a piece of the sun on earth and use it to create energy.Who should be funding all this?Foundational research will never be funded by commercial investment. Because rewards are 20, 30 or 40 years away and it might not be clear what these rewards are. It's important governments support foundational research. It would be wise to have budgets to do research and just see where it takes us. How do we get countries that spend less than 3% of their GDP on research and innovation to spend more?We need to link foundational research to certain megatrends:  aging population, finite natural recourses, the need to keep this planet liveable, and also from a perspective of how to keep people living together peacefully. Building resilient democracies for stable economies.American versus European approach to spurring innovation. Fresh thinking on what the European Union actually is Triggered by Brexit and Putin’s war and Trump, but nevertheless triggered. What is the goal and if the facets of that goal are still remnant? And a fresh perspective on the internal structures. Is it an economic union? Yes, to whatIf you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

What is surprising about the Russian aggression toward Ukraine?Is it possible Putin didn’t have contingency plans for partial or total failure?Russian doctrine of power and successDid the Russian intelligence community really get it wrong or did they try to please Putin with their assessment?The problem of cognitive dissonanceWhat will be the biggest challenge now for Ukraine and the Western allies?What will NATO's worth be for countries in Europe if NATO doesn’t react?What will happen next?Is there a development in the Ukrainian public opinion? Greater resilience or exhaustion? What are the unlikely developments? What is inevitable.There are a lot of structural conditions that point to a strong possibility that there will be further decoupling and deglobalisation.  Will there be a breaking point?What are the 3 things to watch in the next few weeks to watch in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine?1. Use of chemical weapons by Russia won’t make any difference to NATO - it didn’t in Syria.2. The Russians won't use a tactical nuclear weapon at this stage. They want to maintain a tactical war of attrition. Nuclear Weapons are not the sort of things you’d use in that. 3. Putin wants to reach some sort of victory by the 9th of May. The question is what can constitute victory? - Maybe a Russian defeat of Donbas - a mass levelling of Ukrainian cities at a much greater level than now, can precipitate a reaction of other countries to give some air defence to Ukraine. Intercepting Russian aircrafts from neighbouring countries. 4. Another possibility for a shift, would be a situation in Moscow where somebody will suggest to Putin to change course and instability in the Kremlin would have a lot of impact. But destabilisation within the Kremlin will put pressure on Putin to take more drastic action, to achieve victory at any cost. That is where tactical nuclear weapons will come in. The US will have to raise the nuclear alert. Shmuel Bar: https://il.linkedin.com/in/shmuelbarMore on Intuview: https://www.intuview.com/More on the Global Arena Research Institute: https://www.globari.org/If you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

Welcome to the new year of GARI podcasts! We’re excited by our 2022 guest lineup, starting with the brilliant Shmuel Bar!Dr. Bar is the founder and CEO of IntuView – an Israeli based software company that has developed an integrated semantics-driven platform for fully-automated real-time analysis and “meaning mining” of unstructured textual documents in various languages. Dr. Bar served for thirty years in various positions in the Israeli Office of the Prime Minister of Israel.  Since 2002, Dr. Bar has headed research projects – some of them for US government agencies - and published extensively on issues relating to the Middle EastOur main topic of discussion will be the current conflict around Russia and Ukraine and the actual international meaning of it all.Can Russia get most of what it wants just by threatening to do it?How far can Russia get in achieving its goal in reinstating a new regional or world order in which Russia is returning to some level of status that is comparable to what the Soviet Union had? The question is how much are the Americans interested in blocking that? Or are they reconciled with a  new world order where the US is trying to get out of legacy commitments and even formal obligations?Will the current issue do minor modifications for the next year or few years, or are we talking about a major shift in a trend, the abdication of the US as a world superpower?We have a new nemesis to focus on - ChinaPutin knows he's actually doing Biden a favour, he has no interest in invading - but by making a crisis, the cusp of WW3  - Biden can “prevent” it. Allowing Biden to give Putin what he wanted to give him anyway. This allows Americans to claim a great victory and deal with the Chinese threat.What does Intuview do?Langauge, especially in the age of social media, changes very rapidlyWe need to collect the information and allow the information to tell you what is prominent and what is not. Bringing together things that mean the same, so it's meaning miningWhat has Intuview worked on?What do people want in Saudi Arabia? Women cannot drive - husbands who cannot afford chauffeurs for their wives have to drive them around themselves. Intuview's research showed that what will make, especially Saudi Arabia's youth, happy, is to allow women to drive carsFour or five months before the Arab Spring Intuview predicted that Tunisia, Lybia and Egypt (and Syria for other reasons) are liable to fall. The reason was that if you have an old autocratic leader that has been surrounded by the same people for 20 years who are yes men and have never made decisions all their life, as the leader gets older and is unable to control, then you can have the evolution of a crisis and nobody can control it. In the case of Egypt, the army men come from areas where they are posted, and they wouldn't open fire on the people they know and grew up with, so the only political force in the country that can take over would be the Muslim Brotherhood.So what will happen now with Russia?Russia is in no rush to resolve the conflict.  Headlines will continue to say “we are on the If you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter

This episode’s guest is the American physicist Dr. William Colglazier. With an impressive resume, Colglazier’s long career has taken him to the Secretary of State, where he provided scientific and technical expertise and advice in support of the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy as a Science and Technology Adviser. Today, he is the Editor-in-Chief of Science & Diplomacy and Senior Scholar in the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS).Colglazier got his Ph.D. in theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology in 1971. He has since then worked at several prestigious institutes such as the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.  The years before his time at the Secretary of State, he oversaw studies in the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Research Council (NRC) to provide independent, objective scientific advice on domestic and international public policy issues.In this episode, Colglazier talks about his way into science and politics and his work to implement the Sustainable Development Goals through science, technology and innovation. He describes the current setbacks to science in public policies such as the Paris Agreement, Iran Nuclear Deal and the unpreparedness of the US in the recent pandemic.Global Arena Research Institute is an independent, non-partisan research organisation that combines the most advanced methods of AI-driven data, scientific and other artificial reasoning capabilities, elevating data science into completely new levels of opportunity. Our goal is to provide unprecedented insights into the nature, impact, and management of globalization in order to improve institutional and governmental as well as business, energy and other sectors’ decision making. Our mission is to make the most of organically connecting AI-level reasoning capacities with the human-level critical reasoning capacities for the sake of a better future.If you want better insights into challenges and decisions you or your business are facing, GARI’s analytical services are of unmatched complexity and high accuracy - whether your questions are on the green energy transition, trade and supply chains, or political and security related - contact us for a free consultation and see how you can optimise your [email protected] @GARInstitute) / Twitter