PNG Workshop Addresses AI in Governance and Business!

Port Moresby, PNG hosted a conference last week Wednesday, with a tune on how AI manages to open doors in both the private and public sectors.

Key Takeaways from the PRNSC
PINA reports at the recent Pacific Regional and National Security Conference (PRNSC), experts highlighted both the transformative potential and the challenges of AI for the Pacific Islands. Professor Jeannie Paterson of the University of Melbourne emphasised that while AI could drive significant progress, its rapid advancement poses governance and response challenges (PINA). The focus was on ensuring that AI developments are managed sustainably and culturally sensitively, with a need for local adaptation of international guidelines.

Productivity and Energy Concerns
Semi Tukana from SOLE FinTech discussed AI’s role in boosting productivity, especially in software development. However, he and Professor Paterson also raised concerns about the significant energy consumption associated with large language models (LLMs). They advocated for developing smaller, less energy-intensive AI models to mitigate environmental impacts.

Governance and Regional Cooperation
The conference underscored the need for robust governance frameworks and regional cooperation to address AI-enabled threats and ensure human rights and cultural values are respected. Professor Paterson stressed that international frameworks like those from the OECD must be tailored to local contexts, balancing innovation with regulation and respecting regional values.

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