Wittenborg Amsterdam Hosts Top AI Experts

02.03.2020

Wittenborg CEO, Maggie Feng, Panellist at Women in AI Discussion

Wittenborg Amsterdam was recently honoured to host a panel discussion organised by Women in AI Netherlands themed "Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development Goals 2030". Panellists, including Wittenborg CEO Maggie Feng, spoke about how to ensure that AI business ideas are not only executed in a sustainable way but also have a high social impact.

Feng was one of 5 panellists. The discussion was moderated by Samia Haimoura, an award-winning tech entrepreneur and founder of SEON - a startup which developed a wearable device that connects women who feel they are in danger with security agents at the push of a button. It was launched in South Africa last year - a country infamous for its high crime levels and violence against women.

All panellists were enthusiastic about sustainable developments with the help of AI in different fields and speakers shared their experiences and examples of how, with the help of AI, there have been positive changes in their fields.

The discussion centered on The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015. Targeted actions will aim to stimulate development over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership.

The first speaker at the event was Ahmed Rashad Riad , Business Development Manager at the United Nations - ITU. In his work, Ahmed coordinates the AI For Good Global Summit , the Innovation Factory within the Summit, National AI strategies track and the initiatives related to Artificial Intelligence for the preservation of cultural and historical heritage.

The second panellist was Carole Gendrom, global director of Real Estate Intelligence at Philips . Babette Bakker and Rahim Bender accompanied them. Babette is a Manager of Strategy & Collaborations of the TNO AI program and advisor in innovation strategy & policy. Bender is a Member of Global Shapers Community and founder of Creativo Design .

According to Feng equal opportunities for men and women must be afforded in the field of AI. Wittenborg is working on providing discounts to women who want to gain knowledge in this field.

The panel discussion was wrapped up by a special announcement from Buster Franken on how AI can save the planet and creating a community around AI. After the discussion, all the participants joined networking drinks organised by Wittenborg.