Executive Summary of the STS forum 2023
- 20^th Annual Meeting

In their remarks, the speakers reaffirmed the huge potential benefits of advances in science and technology, including the latest progress in AI technologies, and discussed how to maximize such benefits and minimize the risks. Furthermore, they believed in the power of science and technology to tackle the major challenges facing humankind, such as hunger, poverty, sustainable development, and climate change, while recognizing that science and technology could also entrench existing disparities if they are not managed appropriately. To ensure that science and technology and society advance along the path of light to a more sustainable and inclusive future, collaboration is paramount. Such collaboration must be international, it must transcend government, academia, and business, and it must include not only natural sciences but also the social sciences. Above all, it is essential to foster public trust and engagement by showing that science and technology is aligned with the public’s values, because without buy-in from the public, science and technology will not be able to transform society for the better.

This was followed by the Koji Omi Memorial Plenary session on Lights and Shadows of AI, which was chaired by Prof. Matthias Kleiner, Professor, Technical University of Dortmund. During the session, the speakers noted that no technology has had as profound an impact in so short a time as the development of AI and that the recent developments in generative AI technologies have particularly captured the public imagination. AI has the power to transform all aspects of society by generating huge gains in productivity, revolutionizing research, enabling better and more cost-effective public services, optimizing supply chains, and offering customization at scale, among many other benefits. However, there are also many potential shadows associated with AI that must be addressed, including the spread of misinformation and disinformation, the perpetuation and entrenchment of human biases, public fears of job displacement, privacy intrusions, and copyright infringements. Another issue is that AI is now being applied to far more difficult issues than in the past, with more conflicting factors and trade-offs. AI systems cannot “solve” these issues without humans correctly identifying and precisely articulating the “objective” that should be met. AI is advancing at a much faster pace than related regulatory developments, and greater, accelerated, and internationally collaborative efforts are needed to implement a framework for managing the risks of AI. Such a framework must be responsive, proportionate, and future-proof, and there must be adequate communication to reassure the public that this work is being done. Care must also be taken to ensure that different cultures and perspectives are being reflected.

The session on Path to Sustainability, was chaired by Prof. Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of the National Center for Scientific Research, France. In the session, it was noted by the speakers that although the world is aware of the need to reduce its carbon footprint at every level, not enough progress is being made. The speakers also acknowledged the importance of collaboration, both internationally and among governments, industries, and academia, in addressing climate change and moving the world down the right path for achieving sustainability. Furthermore, it is essential for academia to provide transparent knowledge to the public so as to better improve the general understanding of sustainability. In addition, the speakers discussed the importance of innovation in order to provide new solutions and technology to address sustainability, including the role of nuclear energy and nuclear fusion. They also noted that regulatory and economic support from governments will be needed to achieve sustainability, both through supporting innovation and also improving education for younger generations so that individuals can engage in more sustainable activities in their daily lives.

The next session was entitled Global Health – What the world needs to prepare for the next pandemic. Chaired by Sir Paul Nurse, Director and Chief Executive of The Francis Crick Institute and the 2001 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, the session explored action which can be taken now to prepare against new types of future pandemic that have the potential to be even more disruptive than COVID-19. While COVID-19 highlighted global inadequacies in pandemic preparation, it resulted in rapid scientific innovation to both vaccines and therapies, and provided the basis for collaborative partnerships, initiatives, and frameworks that will be invaluable in future rapid pandemic response. The speakers introduced new satellite monitoring techniques and institutes and strategic centers being established to strengthen pandemic preparedness. They also made recommendations for enhancements to pandemic surveillance, epidemiological modelling, vaccine development and utilization, and pathogen research, while emphasizing the need to improve international and private-public collaboration and science communication equitably, based on a foundation of openness, transparency, and trust. The speakers were especially concerned by epidemiological threats associated with climate change, including emerging and reemerging pathogens, and increased zoonotic spillover and geographic ranges for vector-borne diseases.

The role of business in science and technology was addressed in the session on Science and Technology for Business, which was chaired by Mr. Terry Brady, President and CEO of UL Research Institutes. The speakers noted that innovations are accelerating change across every sector of society, but also increasing risks and giving rise to growing concerns about unintended consequences. However, innovations, if brought to worldwide scale, have the potential to ameliorate critical risks, and this is where the business sector has a crucial role to play. During the session, the speakers shared their expertise on the latest developments in a range of fields, including electrified vehicles, AI, quantum technologies, semiconductors, and superconducting materials, as well as the associated challenges and how these can be overcome. The speakers also noted that businesses are increasingly recognizing that they have social responsibilities beyond profit-making and embracing the opportunity to tackle major societal challenges such as carbon neutrality, sustainable development, and energy issues.

The session, Key Messages from Concurrent Sessions, was chaired by Prof. Pavel Kabat, Secretary-General of the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization and former Director General & CEO of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. It began with a report on the activities and experiences of the Young Leaders. Young Leaders past and present expressed their respect for the spirit and mission of STS forum and their appreciation for the valuable opportunities offered by the Young Leaders Program and the Young Leaders Alumni Network. In particular, they noted that STS forum reaffirmed the power of collaboration and the importance of inclusiveness and equitability. This was followed by a reporting of the key messages from the concurrent sessions. The Energy sessions discussed efforts to reduce emissions across different sectors and the potential and challenges of fusion energy. The sessions on Climate Change took up climate adaptation and resilience, solutions for achieving sustainable and resilient urban environments, and the critical role of green energy. In the Earth and Commons track, there was shared deep concern about the state of the Earth’s commons, discussion of the interconnectedness of climate issues, biodiversity decline, and inequality and poverty issues, and a call to proceed with caution in deep-sea exploration and exploitation. The Life Sciences sessions took up the potential and risks of AI in healthcare, ways to harness emerging biotechnologies and make them trustworthy and accessible, and factors that contribute to healthy aging. The Innovative Engineering track covered a range of topics related to revolutionary materials and devices, quantum science and technologies, and AI and hyper automation. In the Cooperation in S&T track, topics included the role of science and technology as a driver for development, the power of and keys to collaboration among academia, industry, and government, and what societies can do to nurture more innovation-based startups. The S&T Education sessions highlighted the importance of inclusion and diversity to science, technology, and innovation, the benefits and pitfalls of AI in education, and how education can foster trust in science. Finally, the Digital Society track covered ways to safeguard trust in information, the need for global efforts to bridge the digital divide, and the opportunities and challenges of the increasing amounts of data generated by AI algorithms.

With Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Founding Director Emeritus, The Library of Alexandria, serving as its chair, the closing session covered Science and Technology for the Future of Humankind. The speakers began by highlighting the need to ensure that humanity is at the heart of the scientific community and its work. Science should be human-centric, not leave anyone behind, and unite people instead of dividing them. Science’s benefits must also be carefully and effectively communicated to society. The speakers then turned their attention to the tremendous but frequently underappreciated value of basic research, highlighting the need to invest more resources in basic research, defend free and independent research and academic freedom, share knowledge and experiences, and cooperate globally. The speakers also reflected on the three days’ discussions and noted the ambitious agenda that STS forum is attempting to take on. They noted that the hope and determination shared by participants suggest that this agenda, though broad, is not beyond the reach of STS forum. Furthermore, they emphasized the importance of partnership in tackling these wide-ranging issues. Lastly, the speakers reaffirmed the central role of science and technology in enabling advancements in human society. At the same time, they noted that the world continues to face critical issues including climate change, inequality, hunger, and poverty. Nevertheless, science and technology have the power to transform societies for the better, while keeping human activities in harmony with nature. For that to occur, however, science and technology must incorporate the humanities and social sciences, and be regulated by ethical and safety guidelines that protect the public while encouraging innovation.