Will AI replace universities? About the future of the world, Chinese domination and Polish priorities

Who will win the AI ​​revolution? Prof. Alojzy Nowak, rector of the University of Warsaw, especially for Bankier.pl: Large companies will be the first to benefit, the state must defend people.

Andrzej Stec: Professor, you were recently a speaker at an influential conference in Dubai. Considering the cast and subject matter, was it really such an important event?

Prof. Alojzy Nowak, rector of the University of Warsaw: Yes, it was the so-called conference of laureates and leaders, World Laureates Summit; Basic Science, the Scientific Consensus for Addressing Challenges tp Humanity. The conference was organized by the World Laureates Association and World Governments Organization. The participants included 39 Nobel Prize winners and 21 Nobel Prize winners, such as the Fields Medal, the Wolf Medal, and the Turing and Lasker Prizes. 10 rectors from all over the world were also invited, and I was among them – both as an economist and as the rector of the University of Warsaw.

We discussed the future of the world from the perspective of technological development, the use of artificial intelligence in science, industry and medicine, as well as ecology. An interesting topic was the dispute among physicists regarding global warming – some of them claimed that there was no evidence for it, others showed hard data about the increase in ocean levels and temperatures.

What was your role in these discussions?

I was one of the speakers (keynote speaker) in the panel on the question: can artificial intelligence replace humans and whether it can replace universities. We also discussed AI in the financial sector, with which I have been associated for over 20 years through supervisory boards.

Was it fear of AI or rather optimism that dominated the conference among these outstanding minds?

Hope definitely dominated. Nobel Prize winners, mostly physicists, chemists, medics and a few economists, understand the processes taking place in science and treat them as objective phenomena. Since AI is an objective phenomenon, it is difficult to be afraid of it – therefore, it must be co-created, participated in or used. In my opinion, and this is what I said in my speech, artificial intelligence will not replace humans or universities in the foreseeable future, although it can help a lot. AI has no dreams, has no feeling and cannot respond to human psychological needs, nor can it manage emotions.

If we look at the next 3-5 years, which sectors of the economy will gain and which will lose from the development of AI?

I would mention science first of all – AI enables the analysis of huge databases, which we ourselves are unable to do quickly, and which facilitates and accelerates scientific research. The second area is interpersonal communication; AI breaks language barriers, enabling free conversation between, for example, a Pole and a Chinese. The third sector is industry, especially the repetitive one, in particular, e.g. car production and medicine. At the University of Warsaw, together with our strategic partner, the Military Institute of Medicine – National Research Institute, we are building a digital medicine center to analyze patient data, which can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment. Another sector is financial and insurance services – simple activities, such as accepting all applications and even providing some advice, are already automated.

Doesn't this create a threat that large companies will become even richer, and unemployment and social polarization will increase?

This is the key thing. Large, strong companies will benefit first from AI, because the implementation of these technologies requires enormous intellectual and financial capital. There is a risk that some employees performing simple activities will lose their jobs. However, economic history teaches us that similar processes have already taken place – the mechanization of agriculture moved people to industry, and the automation of industry to services. Perhaps now we will see a return to the idea of ​​”capitalism with a human face”, where free time, family and personal development will become more important than consumption. Here I also see the role of the state, which should regulate these processes and ensure that humans are not completely displaced.

You mentioned the dominance of great players. How does China fare in this technological race compared to Europe and the USA?

China has made incredible progress in the last 25 years. This can be seen with the naked eye in infrastructure, high-speed rail and the Internet, but above all in science and education. Analyzes show that Chinese universities are already ahead of European and American universities in the number of publications and patents in science. Harvard is often only third in these rankings. The Chinese work in the 996 system (from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week), and at universities it is often even harder. Europe must realize that we need huge investments – a minimum of 2% of GDP in science – in order not to be left behind. As President Macron said: we no longer need cheap Chinese products, but Chinese knowledge and technology.

What would you advise young people then? What competencies will be the currency of the future?

Paradoxically, soft skills will be valued – contact with other people, psychological help, care for the elderly. On the other hand, medicine and hard sciences: innovations, nanotechnologies will be key. There will be a place for everyone, but it is worth focusing on these two poles: “Science” and interpersonal relations.

What about threats like deepfakes and disinformation?

This is a huge threat. The role of universities is to teach source verification. Unfortunately, even in peer-reviewed scientific journals there is fake news or the so-called publishing cooperatives. The scientific community must cleanse itself and the state should finance science so that researchers are not dependent on private capital expecting quick profits and can pursue the truth.

Finally, what two or three priorities would you indicate for Poland by 2030?

Firstly, we must make a strategic decision to invest in modernity, science, education and innovation. Secondly, we must be consistent in this, regardless of who wins the elections. And thirdly, we must change our mentality and accept that failure is the path to success. Following the American model, we must not write off people who have failed, because their experience is priceless. The best money for these purposes are budget funds, because they give the freedom to look for solutions, but at the same time it should be emphasized that funds from other sources are also important and even necessary, because budget funds may not be enough.

Thank you for the interview.

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