Artificial intelligence
Deep learning
AT A ROUNDTABLE HOSTED IN LONDON BY MBB CONSULTING AND CMW, SENIOR EVENT
PROFESSIONALS EXPLORED THE FUTURE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE –
FROM SELF-DRIVING CONFERENCE BUSES TO MATCH-MAKING NETWORKING
very nasty way, but also in a very
constructive way,” says Baur. “It is up to
us as an industry to determine how we
will apply this technology.”
The point was raised that if the
conference and exhibition industries are
to take up artificial intelligence in a
meaningful way, they will need to
partner with third party groups from
outside the industry. All venues,
organisers and third parties would need
to work in close collaboration to ensure
everyone understands why and how the
technology is used.
Baur ran down some recent examples
of achievements in AI, such as Google’s
Deepmind beating the world’s best player
of the board game Go – chronicled in
2017 documentary AlphaGo. This was a
significant obstacle for the technology, he
says, as the number of potential moves
for any particular turn of Go is more
than the number of atoms in the universe.
On the subject of potential
applications, Baur said: “Match-making
could be the most practical application of
ow will artificial
intelligence shape the future
of the conference and
exhibition industries?
That was the question posed by Matthias
‘Tesi’ Baur of MBB Consulting, during a
roundtable discussion in London, undera
media partnership wtih CMW..
Baur began by revealing the results of
a survey he had conducted, asking event
professionals how they thought AI would
affect business. They agreed that it
would have a huge impact on the
industry in the coming years, and also
raised concerns about the potential
applications of the technology.
In China, Baur told us, the government
has installed facial recognition tech
which can learn when citizens are
behaving in undesirable ways – such as
crossing roads at red lights, or
committing more serious crimes. These
behaviours are attached to a points
system which can then log and punish
repeat offenders.
“Artificial intelligence can be used in a
“Artificial
intelligence
can be used
in a very
nasty way,
but also
in a very
constructive
way. It is up
to us as an
industry to
determine
how we will
apply this
technology.”
AI at conferences and exhibitions. This
could mean linking together two
like-minded people at a conference, or
matching a buyer with a seller at an
exhibition.”
He presented a case study of AI being
used at IBM’s World of Watson
conference, in which interactive floor
tiles were able to respond to user
questions, and guide them to specific
people or stands. The event also featured
a self-driving electric bus called Olli,
which was used to transport delegates
around the showfloor. It was able to
analyse tweets about certain exhibitors,
and lit up in various shades of blue and
red depending on whether people were
tweeting positively or more neutrally.
What do you think, eventprofs? How
do you see AI being used in the future of
conferences?
Email me at [email protected]
to let us know your view.
10 /
CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
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ISSUE 103