Some technologies progress not in incremental steps but in booms and busts. Artificial Intelligence (AI) – and in general autonomous technologies – has proven itself to be one of the latter. A good example is the self-driving car, first tested in the 1980s then all but forgotten until the mid-2000s. But machine learning has recently made some tangible improvements in applications such as drones, cyber security, health care – to name but a few. The past few years have seen investment in autonomous technologies soar and governments around the globe embrace AI through dedicated strategies. Is the momentum here to stay and how do we ensure it reaches its full potential?
- How disruptive will the new autonomous technologies be?
- Which sectors could benefit the most and which ones stand to lose?
- Are investments aligned with the real potential of autonomous technologies? Or do we see too much hype around deep learning?
- Does Europe have the right funding infrastructures to compete successfully on the world stage?
- How can legislation help making the most of autonomous technologies? Are we on the right regulatory track?
- With the European elections around the corner, how can we keep the momentum going during the next legislature?