FIPP World Media Congress: Meet the Speakers – Dr. Seth Dobrin
With just over a month to go before the 46th FIPP World Media Congress kicks off, the countdown to the must-attend conference in the picturesque Portuguese seaside town of Cascais has begun in earnest.
The FIPP Congress Early Bird offer ends on Thursday, 2nd May. Book now to save.
To whet the appetite, we have asked those speaking at the event, which takes place from 4-6 June 2024, to sit down for a quick interview to introduce themselves to delegates.
This week we speak to Dr. Seth Dobrin, CEO of Qantm AI, former Chief Global AI Officer of IBM and author, who will be presenting a compelling call to action for C-suite executives to critically assess and enhance their organisation’s AI intelligence quotient (AI iQ) in the evolving AI and GenAI landscape.
Taking to the stage on 5 June, Dr. Dobrin will be offering insights from Fortune 500 transformations as he explains AI’s transformational (and future) impact and the strategy, culture, talent and practical readiness those in the media will need to develop sustainable growth in the new world of work and life.
Could you please introduce yourself and explain how your insights can benefit the media industry?
I am a well-known figure in the application of AI to solving business problems. I have been doing this for more than 20 years. Most recently as IBMs first ever Global Chief AI Officer. I was one of the earliest advocates in the tech industry for responsible AI and diversity in AI. I am one of the leading voices pushing back against the wave of technological colonialism we are seeing in its earliest form today. I currently head an advisory firm, Qantm AI focused on AI Strategy, Governance and Education for senior leaders, investors, governments and institutions. I am also General Partner in 1Infintiy Ventures and Silicon Sands Venture Studios focused on funding start-ups in the area of responsible, safe and green AI.
What have been your career highlights so far?
My career highlights have been the privilege to be able to reinvent myself multiple times. My training is actually in human genetics. I spent the first quarter of my career in start-ups, fortune 100 companies and academic institutions using and developing molecular techniques combined with machine learning and robotics to address problems of human health. I then had the opportunity to spend the next segment of my career applying the same tools to address problems related to feeding the growing global population. After that I then took the same approaches and began applying them to solving business problems at scale outside of the scientific domain starting in 2011. I was one of the leaders of the first Fortune 500 company to undergo a cloud transformation and begin to transform through the application. Of data and AI. I had the privilege of further expanding this when I went to IBM and was able to guide many of the World’s largest companies on a similar journey. This has all culminated in my firm Qantm AI and 1Infinity Ventures as well as my book AI iQ for a Human Focused Future.
How would you sum up the biggest challenges facing the media industry when it comes to AI?
The media industry will be impacted more than most both positively and negatively and will have some of the greatest growing pains associated with the implementation of AI – specifically generative AI. The first challenge that needs to be addressed is the issue of ownership. On both sides of the AI. There needs to be consistency in IP protection for AI training. Similarly, and perhaps more difficult there needs to be a rethinking of what is IP in the age of AI generated content. The second challenge is a human challenge. We are at the beginning of the next industrial revolution. The difference between this and all previous industrial revolutions is two-fold. This one will play out in less than a single generation instead of over three to five generations. This industrial revolution will impact workers of all skill levels – workers in creative fields are most at risk.
What about the opportunities for AI in the media industry?
The opportunity for generative AI in the media industry is greater than perhaps any other. The ‘bug’ of generative AI that we have all heard about since chatGPT came out – hallucinations – has been leveraged as a feature for AI artists for many years before this technology became mainstream. Take Refik Anadol for instance, the first AI artist of note. The same approach he has taken for years with governance around brand guidelines and emerging technologies can augmented in some cases replace creatives. The choice of if you will be augmented or replaced is really yours. Embrace the new technology, become an expert in using it, in collaborating with it and you will not be replaced by AI. If you choose not to embrace the technology, you will be replaced by it.
What is the best business advice you have ever received?
Never stop learning, and do not take a job you are 100% qualified for. Always look for a role where you get as much out of it as the company gets out of you. This translates to looking for jobs you are less than 75% qualified for. Keep growing and learning.
Connect with an unparalleled global network of industry colleagues and join 500 decision-makers from more than 40 countries at the 46th FIPP World Media Congress. See the list of speakers here and the agenda here.
Book now with of our Early Bird Offer.
See you in Cascais!
