December 2nd, 2024

By Perla Douaihy, Marketing | Tech Enthusiast | Tech Events Coverage 🎤 | Marketing Insights & Tips | Exploring Digital Future

Let’s Talk Future

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the Digital Youth Leaders International Forum 2024 (#DYL2024), an inspiring event held at the CST Campus, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ) in Beirut. “We Stand Resilient” rises as a symbol of Lebanese youth resilience in the face of adversity. This event was initiated by Rethinking Lebanon.

DYL 2024, brought together leaders, innovators, Investors, and Professors from various fields to address the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in different sectors. In count to, empowering youth, entrepreneurs, and innovators to integrate AI in their workplace.

“They Can Delay You but They Cannot Stop You”, said Dr. Jihad El Hokayem president of Rethinking Lebanon who emphasized initiating this event regardless of all the difficulties that Lebanon is confronting. The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & Architecture at USJ Wassim Raphael expresses that this forum isn’t just a conference it is a symbol of hope, resilience, and the spirit of our people where creativity, innovation, and leadership come together to shape the future. Moreover, s.j – Rector of Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Salim Daccache, expressed his pride in welcoming a conference that empowers youth in Lebanon. He emphasized that USJ, now celebrating 150 years of legacy, culture, and knowledge, continues to adapt to global changes while preserving its rich traditions and commitment to education.

Key Highlights from the Forum:

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, with Alejandro Espaillat, American Board Certified in Ophthalmology. Author: “Revolutionizing Ophthalmology – The Integration of AI Algorithms”.

He shares the importance of AI and Robotics in Healthcare and the potential growth of health tech in the Middle East where all robotics will be soon between 5 to 10 years. From real-time monitoring of patient health to AI assistance for patient questions, and AI in healthcare operations for efficiency and cost reduction while considering the data infrastructure, and security measures to ensure interoperability between existing systems and new AI tools and to protect patient data and privacy.

Panel 1: The Role of AI & Disruptive Technologies:

Panel one discussions explored the potential of AI to revolutionize various industries and sectors, where experts from different fields discussed the importance of AI integration in our workplace and the risk of overusing and relying on AI only. The panelists’ diverse perspectives and experiences provided a rich and engaging dialogue that left the audience inspired and motivated with the moderator Chantale Hajjar, Associate professor, CCE program coordinator at ESIB, USJ.

Professor Imad ElHajj, Associate Dean at AUB, warns against excessive reliance on AI, particularly for students. He argues that this could lead to intellectual laziness and a dependence on outdated or inaccurate data. While AI is a valuable tool, he emphasizes the importance of human creativity and critical thinking. He said: “AI is a tool, AI is a method, it is calculated, but the concern is becoming calculator operators without understanding the underlying principles, they learn how to train a model, but they don’t understand the math behind it.” Regarding education, he advocates for updating university curricula and certifications to align with technological advancements and prepare students for the evolving job market.
Hayssam Serhan, Chief of AI & Innovation at Exeo stated: “In health tech, systems can detect and analyze diseases at an early stage and provide textual descriptions as output.” He added that data preparation is the critical step, constituting 80% of the work, while model dimensioning, fine-tuning, and training account for the remaining 20%. Serhan advised the Lebanese Ministry of Health to establish a national dataset, accessible to researchers at major universities, to facilitate the development of customized solutions for Lebanon.
Elie Zeidan, Managing Partner Potech claimed: “The main challenges right now are: 1. Limiting the impact of data leaks from large language models (LLMs). 2. Preventing LLMs from being exploited to steal private data. 3. Data availability for cybersecurity applications.”
Jad Bitar, Senior Managing Director & Senior Partner at BCG, asserted: “Startup businesses face a unique set of challenges, including securing funding and exit strategies. While AI can be a powerful tool for startups, it’s crucial to use it strategically. AI won’t replace human consultants, but those who effectively leverage AI will undoubtedly gain a competitive edge. At BCG, we’re harnessing AI to amplify our teams’ efficiency and effectiveness, transforming our day-to-day consulting practices.”

Panel 2: Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the AI era

Panel two discussions focused on innovators and entrepreneurs, where experts from diverse fields acknowledged the importance of AI in their businesses. Panelists agreed that AI can be a valuable tool for entrepreneurs to streamline their work and gain a competitive edge. The moderator, Julien Fares, Assistant Professor LAU and Board Member at Rethinking Lebanon, guided the discussions.

Elie Hajjar, Co-founder & CEO of Inovise, emphasizes: “Now that we have AI, it’s crucial to create systems that solve real-world problems and leverage AI effectively. We need to train entrepreneurs to maximize the benefits of AI and ensure they know how to use it properly.” He further shared AI tools that can help innovators reach the minimum viable product (MVP) level. In a short video, he explained the mission of Inovise.
Manal Jalloul, Founder & CEO of AI Lab solutions, Certified Trainer & University Ambassador at NVIDIA, encourages the audience to discover and use AI tools. She said:

“My vision when I started @AI Lab was to raise awareness and share my technical knowledge, especially in our region where we are primarily consumers of AI. We need to:

Spread Awareness: Educate the public about AI.
Drive Adoption: Encourage people to adopt AI technologies.
Train the Next Generation: Teach young people to be proficient in AI tools.
Govern AI: Develop frameworks to govern AI tools.

This comprehensive strategy should be implemented from the top down.”

She added, “AI is a revolution that’s changing everything we do. It’s a market necessity and is transforming businesses. It empowers us to tackle larger challenges. Should we let this revolution pass us by out of fear? I believe we should embrace it now. We should have already done this yesterday, but it’s not too late.”

Jalloul concluded by addressing the Lebanese government: “We are the only country in the Middle East without a national AI strategy or vision. We have the potential to become a technologically advanced nation, thanks to our strong educational system and talented population. We need to capitalize on this opportunity and develop a clear roadmap for AI adoption.”

Tony Feghali, a Business Coach and Education Consultant, shared a personal anecdote about his experience with Marvin Minsky, the “Godfather of AI.” Feghali emphasized a bottom-up approach: do what you can, with what you have, when you can. He highlighted the importance of integrating AI with human capabilities, emphasizing that AI is a technology to be embraced and utilized. The key lies in understanding how AI interfaces with humans and incorporating it seamlessly into our culture. Feghali stressed that technology should enhance our humanity, not diminish it. He encouraged the audience to explore how AI can contribute to happier lives, while also acknowledging the ethical implications of its use.

Technical Workshops: Attendees had the opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops.

As I left the event, I couldn’t help but feel optimistic and proud. Digital Youth Leaders International Forum 2024 #DYL2024 was more than just a forum; it was a movement. It showcased the immense talent and potential of the Lebanese.