OWP 2022: Leading For the Future

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KEYNOTE

“IF YOU ARE NOT COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY AND YOU ARE NOT USING INFRASTRUCTURE IN A SMARTWAY, YOUARE GOING TO LOSE BOTHAS ACOUNTRY AND AS A COMPANY – AND YOURCUSTOMERSWILL WALKAWAY.”

The “cities of the future” already exist, said Khanna. For example, there is Tengah district in Singapore and Neom in Saudi Arabia. These areas are notably greener with fewer cars, and they show that smart cities are the way of the future, where any space can be used and be multifunctional. PRECISION FARMING IN UNEXPECTED PLACES By 2050, it is expected that 10 billion people will live in cities and 80% of all food will be consumed in cities. Bringing farming closer to the city will be increasingly critical, and this is already happening in the world’s biggest urban centers. Farming in the city significantly reduces supply chain transport costs. “You can find sustainable urban farming in unexpected places. For example, in London, farming is taking place in an old World War II refugee tunnel.” The tunnel, 33 meters below London’s Clapham High Street, is an urban farm, and an example of the brilliance of precision farming.

FUTURE CITIES MADE OF NATURAL MATERIALS AND INNOVATIVE SPACES “When we think of future cities, we think of Wakanda, where there are amazing buildings and it is very science fiction and made from all these interesting materials, but actually the future city doesn’t look very exciting. It is more important that future cities are sustainable,” Khanna explained. “In Japan, work is already underway to construct a 70-storey building made out of 90% wood. This is the reality, because futuristic thinking and climate-friendly thinking are needed when developing the cities of the future to ensure sustainability. Cities of the future will move away from concrete heavy buildings; more and more buildings will be built of sustainable materials like treated wood.” Increasingly, living spaces will become more fluid and multi-purpose, she argued. “Buildings will no longer be dumb cement only. They are going to be alive, laced with AI that is going to constantly change and be multifunctional and dynamic.”

“The farm is already 12 times more productive than a regular farm,” Khanna explained. “It uses AI and a network of onsite cameras to ensure optimum growing conditions, resulting in bumper harvests. By precisely controlling the environment, 70% less water is used and the farming is pesticide free.” COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS OF THE FUTURE “Our colleagues will be AI, and it’s going to change the way we work,” said Khanna. “If you don’t have an AI colleague, you are going to be in trouble.” Khanna, whose company Addo builds AI assistants for telecommunications companies, logistics companies, governments, and healthcare companies, also shared the story of how three entrepreneurs used AI to shake up the Chilean mayonnaise market (the third largest market for mayonnaise in the world). Khanna explained how the startup NotCo’s founders set about making a plant-based mayonnaise.

“They hired Giuseppe, the AI chef, and became a best-selling mayonnaise supplier in Chili.” Giuseppe is an algorithm that has a database of more than 400,000 plants. He analyzes the animal-based product at a structural level and then gives a variety of formulas that could be replicated in the laboratory and at speed. “This could not have happened without Giuseppe because no human laboratory technician or chef could go through that many recipes at such high speed, Khanna explained. “Not only is it more efficient, it only gets more efficient with time. The ability of the company to use AI to develop a range of products attracted the attention of Kraft Heinz who partnered with NotCo because of their patented AI technology.” She says that thinking about how to use AI to accelerate and enrich your products and services is critical. “AI is there to amplify human potential.”

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