AI takes center stage at World Laureates Summit

The World Laureates Summit opened in Dubai on Sunday, bringing together some 40 Nobel laureates and six Turing Award winners. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a central topic, as scholars from a wide range of disciplines examine its implications for scientific research and economic development.

Roger Kornberg, chairman of the World Laureates Association and a Nobel laureate in chemistry, said that while AI is a powerful tool, human creativity and original thinking remain irreplaceable. He noted that AI systems are constrained by existing knowledge, whereas scientific breakthroughs often depend on ideas that go beyond established frameworks.

But 1986 ACM Turing Award winner Professor John Hopcroft argues that the real impact of AI lies beyond pure discovery. It's clear that discovering new scientific knowledge is not the real application of AI, he said, adding what has made AI so important is its application in other disciplines, including agriculture, medicine and biology. Hopcroft also highlighted that many scientists remain focused on science itself, but that is not where the real value of AI lies.

One such area where AI is set to make significant leaps forward is in agriculture. Jian-Kang Zhu, president of the Macau University of Science and Technology, said integrating AI into research has become essential. He noted that so-called "smart agriculture" can equip rural economic entities, including small cooperatives, with more practical tools. His research focuses on combining AI with new bio-breeding technologies to develop higher-yield and higher-quality crop varieties, allowing for greater precision in the breeding process.

This cross-disciplinary conversation offers a broader perspective beyond immediate answers. The economic impact of AI is not centered on simple replacement, but on a gradual transformation that requires human adaptation. The summit concludes Tuesday.