Invited Keynote Speaker in Budapest (Hungary) on 13th November 2024 at WIRE2024 (Week of Innovative Regions in Europe) and as Invited Professor and PI of Horizon Europe Enfield project at BME in November 2024

31 Oct Invited Keynote Speaker in Budapest (Hungary) on 13th November 2024 at WIRE2024 (Week of Innovative Regions in Europe) and as Invited Professor and PI of Horizon Europe Enfield project at BME in November 2024

Posted at 12:15h in home, Projects by icalzada 0 Comments

Invited Speaker Reflections from Budapest: WIRE2024 & BME Seminar

This November, I had the privilege of contributing to two significant events in Budapest, Hungary, exploring the intersection of emerging technologies, regional innovation, and societal challenges. These engagements highlighted how trustworthy AI and decentralized technologies can serve as catalysts for sustainable and inclusive regional development.

WIRE2024 Keynote: New Challenges, New Dimensions of Regional Disparities
As part of the Week of Innovative Regions in Europe (WIRE), hosted under the Hungarian EU Council Presidency, my keynote at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design addressed pressing issues surrounding regional disparities. The session explored the profound effects of technological advancements, climate change, political shifts, and widening inequality on European regions.
Key themes included:

https://wire2024.nkfih.gov.hu/program/13-14-november-2024

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in fostering social and territorial cohesion.
Strategies to counteract the erosion of the middle class while addressing disparities in the Global South and within Europe.
How innovation-driven regional policies can balance sustainability and inclusivity in response to shifting socio-economic paradigms.

This discussion underscored the dual potential of AI: its capacity to either bridge or exacerbate disparities depending on how it is governed and implemented. It was an honor to engage with policymakers, researchers, and regional leaders on these critical topics in a session that was livestreamed for wider accessibility.

BME Seminar: Trustworthy AI for Democratic Resilience
At Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), I delivered a seminar titled “Trustworthy AI: Leveraging Generative AI for Democracy – Detection Techniques of Trust Through Decentralized Web3 Ecosystems”. Hosted by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, the presentation aimed to provide a cross-disciplinary framework for understanding how decentralized Web3 technologies (e.g., blockchain, DAOs, and data cooperatives) can ensure transparency and trust in the governance of generative AI.

Highlights included:

Detection techniques to combat AI-generated disinformation.
Applications of decentralized Web3 ecosystems to enhance democratic integrity.
Actionable methodologies to promote trustworthy AI governance.

The vibrant interaction with students, academics, and practitioners emphasized the urgency of integrating engineering, policy, and social science perspectives to navigate AI’s societal impact effectively.

Continuing the Dialogue

Both sessions were part of an ongoing effort to bridge academic discourse with actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners. These experiences not only showcased Budapest’s central role in the European innovation ecosystem but also underscored the need for collaborative approaches to AI governance and regional policy.