Fear of the future must not be allowed to deprive the next generation of new opportunities, the Kenyan President has said.
William Ruto said governments' concerns about change brought by technology can be a “huge drawback to progress”.
And while all change “produces its winners and losers”, he urged governments to grasp the opportunities of the “silicon-powered age” and to stop trying to maintain the status quo.
“The silicon-powered era has caused a mass extinction of professions and ways of life and [is] replacing them with new ones," said Mr Ruto at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.
If you sacrifice the benefits of progress hoping for security, we risk losing both
William Ruto,
Kenyan President
“Nothing in the past century compares in terms of sheer speed and scale of transformation as well as implication for human well-being and disruptive social economic change … with what we have experienced over the past few decades since the advent of computing … and of course artificial intelligence."
Mr Ruto said it was wise to be vigilant of adverse implications “yet these must never be grounds to stand in the way of solutions to humanity’s pressing needs”, with the new industrial revolution bringing opportunities.
"The fear of the unknown can be a real and huge drawback to progress and governments," he said. "However, if they are to remain relevant, agile and responsive, [they] must, as of necessity, move, facilitate, encourage and champion change."
Mr Ruto, who narrowly won the Kenyan election in 2022, also reflected on the digital transformation in the East African country over the past two decades.
He highlighted the success of mobile phone-based money transfer service, M-Pesa, that had the established banking sector “up in arms” when it launched in the 2000s as it allowed payments to be sent by text message.
“The public eagerly embraced the liberating efficiency of mobile phone-based cash transfer. Many types of businesses quickly saw the benefit."
He said the Kenyan government had digitised 80 per cent of its services and was aiming for 100 per cent by the end of the year.
“Our transformation agenda in Kenya dictated that affordable credit and financial inclusion be made available to the majority as a matter of urgency … liberating millions from predatory lenders through a digital lending and savings platform.”
Mr Ruto said from the difficult conversations in Kenya at the advent of the digital revolution in 2007, the country had “fully embraced” this world despite warning that vigilance was needed amid “changes, threats and dangers”.
“If you sacrifice the benefits of progress hoping for security, we risk losing both,” he said.
Mr Ruto also spoke about climate change. Last year he hosted Africa's first climate summit and it ended in a joint declaration asking that big polluters deliver increased resources to poorer countries.
He was named by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential leaders shaping global climate action and has also unveiled plans for Kenya to plant 15 billion trees.
But some environmentalists have criticised his stance for championing tree-planting while also failing to stop illegal logging in public forests.
“Africa is the de facto epicentre of a green industrial revolution,” Mr Ruto said.
“It is no longer tenable nor sustainable to extract natural resources from Africa, processed elsewhere using green[house] gas-emitting technologies.
“Green industrialisation in Africa will simultaneously address unemployment, reduce inequality, discourage migration while enhancing manufacturing efficiency and industrial sustainability. All it takes is investment.”
Meanwhile, the summit continues in Dubai. The second day of the gathering featured a video interview with Sam Altman, chief executive of Open AI.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to address the assembly on Tuesday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the last day on Wednesday before inaugurating Abu Dhabi's landmark Hindu temple later in the day.
India is one of three countries, alongside Qatar and Turkey, to be named guests of honour at the Dubai summit.
More than 25 world leaders and heads of state have convened in Madinat Jumeirah for the event.
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Serie A
Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
