The annual Summit gathered 15,435 attendees from 118 countries and 1,043 startups – the largest gathering of startups ever in the Middle East.
Human jobs are at risk, but as humans adapt to the presence of AI, the threat diminishes and those who are not capable of evolving will be left behind, the head of tech at Qatar Investment Authority Mohammed Al-Hardan warned on Tuesday.
“Yes, human jobs are at risk. Not all jobs are at risk, but humans will evolve around the illusion of AI and those that are unable and not capable of evolving will be left behind,” Al-Hardan said during a session at the Web Summit Qatar 2024.
He went on to emphasise the necessity for people to tap into their creativity and emotions, suggesting a pivotal shift towards Emotional Intelligence (EQ) rather than the traditional focus on Intellectual Quotient (IQ).
Speaking on the potential consequences, he predicted a wave of structural unemployment on a global scale and highlighted the vulnerability of the gig economy as AI was already going to further automation and robotics.
Web Summit Qatar
The annual Summit gathered around 15,435 attendees from 118 countries and over 1,040 startups – the largest gathering of startups ever in the Middle East.
It also saw 401 investors and 380 speakers. The Web Summit Qatar also had 148 partners exhibiting on the event floor, including Microsoft, Meta, TikTok, Snap, and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
The Web Summit in Qatar marked the first time the event ever took place in the Middle East.
The event also added to Qatar’s profile of hosting mega-events, most notably the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced a $1 billion QIA investment in international and regional venture capital funds on Monday at the Web Summit.
The major investment came under the directives of Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to support local and regional entrepreneurs.
The senior Qatari official’s announcement came during the opening night of the Web Summit, held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) from Monday to Thursday.
“Web Summit Qatar represents another historic event in the Middle East and once again we welcome the world in Qatar,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
The top Qatar official underlined the significance of the event as it takes place “at the threshold of a new era” where there are major technological advancements and human achievements.
“Until relatively recently, specialised technologies remain in separate silos today, digital technologies are for the first time converging to achieve complex real-world outcomes, previously unimaginable,” he said.
Offering a positive perspective on modern-day technologies, Sheikh Mohammed pointed to such developments as making the world more interconnected than ever. He stressed that the international community must also ensure open access to such advancements, particularly in developing nations.
“This inclusivity is crucial as a grand vision need no longer be bottlenecked by access, privilege or ability but can flow freely […] we recognise that innovation is not just about creating new tools but about reimagining the possibilities of what we can achieve,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
The top Qatari official added that the event is yet another chance for attendees “to reflect” on the global technological progress.
“Each discussion, every interaction and all partnerships coming forth over the next few days is a step toward that future and will plant seeds from which the technologies of tomorrow will grow,” he said.
The tickets for the event sold out last week as partner and startup programme passes reached full capacity.
