Matroid at G7 Summit Sidelines with His Holiness Pope Francis
Jeff Zeller | June 15th, 2024
Matroid CEO Reza Zadeh Highlights Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability Initiatives at G7.
Introduction
At the G7 Summit Sidelines in the Vatican, Reza Zadeh represented Matroid. He had the privilege of meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis to discuss Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the world. Matroid was invited as a member of King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, the King’s Delegation for the sustainable development of Earth and Space.
Overview of the G7 Summit
At the 2024 G7 Summit, President Biden and other G7 leaders addressed critical global challenges, including the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, economic resilience, and climate crisis mitigation. They also focused on bolstering health security, addressing food insecurity, and ensuring equitable access to resources. The summit underscored the importance of international cooperation in fostering sustainable economic growth and tackling urgent global issues. The leaders committed to a collaborative approach, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts to build a more secure and prosperous future for all. Finally, there was a significant focus on AI’s implications and potential benefits in addressing these global challenges.
As a part of the AI focus at the G7, Pope Francis attended and spoke to the G7 leaders about AI. Pope Francis highlighted AI’s potential for positive and negative outcomes, drawing parallels with historical technological advancements that have shaped humanity. In his speech, the Pope called artificial intelligence “an exciting and fearsome tool” that could expand everyone’s access to knowledge, advance scientific research rapidly, and give “demanding and arduous work to machines.” While His Holiness called for the global community to find shared principles for using AI, Pope Francis also called for an outright ban of specific applications. He drew a staunch line on declaring that AI should never be relied upon or allowed to take a human life. Decision-making “must always be left to the human person,” with human dignity depending on proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs. The Pope ended his speech with the idea that it is up to everyone to “make good use” of artificial intelligence, “but the onus is on politics to create the conditions for such good use to be possible and fruitful.”
King Charles III Sustainable Markets Initiative and the Astra Carta
Matroid plays a significant role in King Charles III’s sustainable markets initiatives, specifically through the Astra Carta and Terra Carta projects. The Astra Carta focuses on promoting responsible and sustainable practices in space exploration. Matroid contributes its advanced AI and computer vision technologies to automate visual inspections, detect hazards, and streamline aerospace production processes, enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, as a founding signatory of the Astra Carta, Matroid is committed to the broader goals of sustainable development on earth and space, applying its technological innovations to support global environmental and economic resilience. Through these initiatives, Matroid underscores its dedication and expertise in leveraging AI for the long-term sustainability of earth and space.
SMI’s meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis
Hours after meeting with the G7, Pope Francis met with the Sustainable Markets Initiative sent by His Highness Charles III to discuss sustainability on earth and in space. In addition to his discussion about AI, His Holiness focused on the environment, the treatment of the poor, and the necessity to empower today’s youth.
Reza’s message highlighted AI’s critical role in ensuring Earth and space sustainability in several crucial areas in this collaboration, starting by illuminating its potential in the aviation industry. He explained that AI and machine learning can help optimize sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and improve production processes, particularly with renewable resources. Furthermore, AI can be leveraged to streamline the production of aerospace materials, making the industry more efficient and less resource-intensive, contributing to broader sustainability goals.
Additionally, Reza pointed out that AI offers solutions for managing the growing congestion of satellites in low Earth and geosynchronous orbits. AI can detect and track satellites, identify optimal locations for new satellites, and predict potential collisions, improving space traffic management. AI can also assist in removing space debris, addressing the issue of space litter, and enhancing the sustainability of space operations.
Reza also discussed how AI can monitor Earth’s environment from space, using satellite imagery to measure methane emissions, monitor pollution, and track deforestation. This real-time data is crucial for implementing and assessing environmental policies to reduce emissions and preserve natural habitats. The ability of AI to provide timely and accurate data supports more effective ecological conservation efforts.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport
Matroid’s customer, Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, reiterated their pledge and commitment to providing SAF at Rome Fiumicino Airport, the leading international airport serving the Vatican. Rome Airport is the first Italian airport to provide SAF at its runways. Currently, the jet fuel + Eni SAF is from the Taranto refinery and is produced using conventional plants. The organic component of the approximately 3,000 tonnes available at Fiumicino airport saves more than 50 tonnes of CO2 compared to an equivalent load of fossil fuel products.
Article from the Vatican
Pope Francis’s Speech to the G7
Future Engagements
Reza and Matroid will attend the G20 in Brazil later this year as part of the King’s delegation and the WEF 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. Reza will speak more in-depth about AI’s promise, its potential for beneficial impacts on humanity, and how AI stewardship by ethical leaders like Matroid is critical to AI success.
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