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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Hani Mulki took part as "guest of honour" and keynote speaker in the Dubai Knowledge Summit 2017, at the invitation of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

In his speech during the summit, dubbed Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which was opened by Sheikh Mohammad Tuesday, Mulki stressed the deep-rooted relations between Jordan and the UAE and their leadership's "keenness to do their utmost to provide a decent living for their citizens, and to keep pace with all advancements to serve the current and future generations, and a promising future for their ambitious youth".

"There is no doubt that the world is changing, and we will inevitably be affected by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, whether we are aware of it or not. But the paramount question is: Are we ready to absorb and employ them for the prosperity of our peoples and our countries?", he told the gathering, which drew wide international participation.

Mulki said that "in Jordan, with an optimistic vision, we believe that the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in all its components, came to empower people, not to the rise of machines and mechanization or digitization within its narrow framework, and that the process is not competitive but participatory and complementary between man and machine".

He expressed his confidence that science and technological development would establish a new pattern and approach in the relationship between peoples and nations and promote the concepts of peace, prosperity and democracy.

"The notion of wars and conflicts breaking out between states over natural resources may vanish under this revolution. There is added value, high quality and accuracy, less pressure on natural resources and eventually luxury and a better living and opportunities for the world's people to live in peace and security", he pointed out.

"Artificial intelligence exists today everywhere around us, from self-driving vehicles, drones, translation software or software used to discover new drugs, computer designs and three-dimensional printing, materials engineering, genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and e-commerce", he said.

Mulki pointed out that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will carry many of the advancements and inventions "that are on their way to us", including digital projects in trade, flying cars, driverless vehicles and a world free of cancerous tumors.

He said that Jordan is aware that there are "many concerns about the consequences of this revolution in terms of information security, and the potential of increased unemployment among youth and job seekers, and the ability of governments to adapt to the requirements of modernity and development to streamline its work".

"On the other hand, we see from this industrial revolution great and tremendous opportunities for all countries, particularly in our region. The sustainability and maintenance of this technology will, indeed, require distinguished human capabilities and new competencies, different from the traditional knowledge and expertise. The number of robots in the automotive industry, the centers for the sale of genetically modified human organs of the same humans, and many more", he said.

The Prime Minister stressed the pressing need to focus more on the human development aspect and to ensure that there is a sophisticated and flexible education system that motivates scientific and technological development. Education and the educational system in any country is the true measure of the country's success in reaping the fruits of scientific development and industrial revolution, and the qualitative leap it will have in the lives and prosperity of peoples, he added.