KARACHI: A day-long conference on Tuesday brought together industry leaders, innovators and professionals to discuss the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and mind sciences in enhancing customer engagement and driving organisational growth.

The event titled “New age innovations: AI tools and mindscience for customer growth” was organised by the New World Concepts at a local hotel here.

Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Karachi, Yang Yundong, delivered the opening address for the inaugural session, while highlighting the strong technological collaborations between Pakistan and China and discussing the mutual benefits of advancements in AI and technology.

“China has emerged as a global AI leader, excelling in research, industry, and policy. Its universities and companies produce cutting-edge research and technologies, with initiatives such as the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan driving strategic growth,” he said.

During his keynote address on ‘Mindscience and human behaviour’, Unesco Science Laureate and former federal minister of science and technology Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, who joined online, delved into the intersection of mind science, brain and human behaviour.

Talking about the rapid growth of disruptive technologies and generative AI across education, health and other sectors, he illustrated how it affected society. “Invest in your children, in their education,” he said while going on to talk about how education was benefiting through AI and how personal robotic tutors were helping students.

The co-founder and CEO of Vispera, Turkiye, Dr Aytul Ercil, spoke about the the rise of AI and its place in our lives.

She shared her experiences leading a tech-driven company and discussed the pervasive role of AI in modern life and its future potential. “AI is transforming various aspects of modern life, from healthcare to entertainment, and from transportation to education,” she said, while discussing the revolutionary advancements in image recognition, showcasing Vispera’s cutting-edge services in providing image recognition solutions for fast-moving consumer goods.

A panel discussion on ‘The impact of innovations on organisations’ growth potential’ explored how technological innovations were reshaping ways of work and driving growth, with real-world examples of AI implementation.

“Innovation leads to optimised processes, reducing costs and resource use,” said MD of EFU Life Assurance Ltd Mohammed Ali Ahmed.

“Innovation helps organisations stay attuned to changing customer preferences, new products, services, or markets can lead to increased revenues,” he added.

Co-founder & CEO of HugoBank, Atyab Tahir, highlighted how AI and data analytics were expanding access to financial services, improving financial literacy, and fostering inclusion in the financial sector.

Ibn-e-Sina Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Aga Khan University, Dr Zainab Samad, spoke on ‘How AI is affecting health and well-being’.

While detailing the transformative impact of AI on medical diagnostics and patient care, she shared how continuous use of new technologies impacted the brain and social interactions.

Celebrity actress and entrepreneur Sarwat Gilani moderated a panel on ‘Leveraging AI for customer engagement’ with CEO of Engro Powergen Qadirpur Semeen Akhter, Group Executive of Digital Banking at UBL Sharjeel Shahid and Dr Zainab Samad.

The panel discussed how AI tools could enhance customer experiences, personalise interactions, and improve efficiencies with examples of successful AI-driven customer engagement initiatives.

Chairperson of Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP) Ronak Lakhani, along with SOP Global Messenger Haseeb Abbasi, presented on their inclusive efforts, highlighting the transformative impact of sports in changing lives of differently-abled persons.

CEO of Ekkel AI Ahsan Memon demonstrated AI as a tool of the future, showcasing practical applications of AI technologies in various industries.

He spoke that artificial intelligence was a wide-ranging tool that enabled people to rethink how people integrated information, analysed data, and used the resulting insights to improve decision making.

A panel on the ‘Application of innovative technologies’ featured CEO & Director of 1Link (Pvt) Ltd Najeeb Agrawalla, SVP of Data & AI at VentureDive Imran Moinuddin and Ahsan Memon.

Moderated by Suleman Ansar Khan, the panel explored how innovative technologies were transforming business operations.

The discussion included insights on implementing AI tools, overcoming challenges, and maximising the benefits of technological advancements.

EVP of SBE Holdings, Canada, Qashif Effendi, discussed ‘Boosting sales with generative AI’, while illustrating how AI could enhance marketing and sales strategies.

Former Marketing VP at Coca-Cola, Abbas Arsalan, talked about ‘Creativity and the power of AI’. He highlighted how AI could drive creative processes and innovation in marketing, shared insights from his experience in leading marketing initiatives at a global corporation.

Earlier, CEO of New World Concepts, Yasmin Hyder, welcomed the audience and highlighted the critical role of innovation and Artificial Intelligence in today’s work environment and the need to upskill for latest technologies.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2024