DUBAI: Governments need to feed artificial intelligence models accurate data —stored in secure, centralized centers — so that better solutions can be found to improve public services, said Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison at the World Governments Summit here on Wednesday.
AI, if harnessed correctly, would fundamentally change several industries including medicine, agriculture and robotics, said Ellison during a discussion on governance featuring former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
This was a view later echoed by AstraZeneka’s CEO Pascal Soriot, who warned against the inefficiencies of fragmented information which placed hurdles in the way of effective healthcare.
Soriot warned of the problems of what he called data fragmentation, where information is not held in a centralized environment.
“While AI is transformative, data fragmentation remains a hurdle. The healthcare industry needs time to adapt, but the potential is undeniable.”
In Ellison’s session, titled “Reimagining Technology for Government: A conversation with Larry Ellison and Tony Blair,” the Oracle co-founder said the scope to improve governance, especially in areas such as health, has improved significantly.
Oracle is a US-based tech company known for its database management system used by organizations across the globe.
“Countries need to unify their data so it can be consumed and used by the AI model. We must feed the AI model as much data about a country as possible,” Ellison said.
A single unified platform was proposed by Ellison to give AI models all the context and information needed to provide accurate responses and maximize its usage.
Ellison said government data was currently fragmented and once this information was unified, it was vital to store it securely. “These data centers need to be secure in our countries for privacy and security reasons,” he added.
Improving AI models would, for example, lower healthcare costs as diagnosis would be much faster, he explained. AI could also help maximize crop yields to improve food security for the planet.
“The UAE has a treasure of data that can improve quality of life and lifespan by preparing healthcare data and using these AI models to improve quality of life,” he added.
He added that Oracle would no longer require users to access platforms with passwords but would implement biometric scans and AI technology.
“The digital tools we have right now are so primitive. We can easily be locked out of all our data; passwords and data are so easily stolen and ransomed. We need to modernize our systems,” he said.
In the later session on the global health sector, AstraZeneca’s Soriot said there were two factors contributing to the current surge in preventable conditions.
“Self-inflicted diseases are a growing crisis in the health industry,” he said, identifying climate change and obesity as the leading culprits.
“Air pollution, increasing temperatures, and climate change are not just abstract threats; they are silent killers,” Soriot warned.
He elaborated on the impact of microplastics, pollutants, and toxic emissions, which have been linked to rising cases of heart attacks, cancers, and kidney and liver diseases worldwide.
Soriot pointed to obesity as another critical factor.
“This self-inflicted condition triggers chronic low-level inflammation, paving the way for kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer,” he said.
He expressed frustration over the minimal investment in preventive healthcare. “Governments allocate only 3 percent of their healthcare budgets to prevention and early diagnosis.”
But he said this could be tackled with the use of technology. “Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing healthcare, enabling early diagnosis where traditional methods fall short.”
AI’s capabilities in detecting early signs of lung cancer and kidney issues could extend lives significantly, he added.
In his closing remarks Soriot said: “The future of healthcare hinges on our ability to prevent rather than just treat.
“We must prioritize early intervention, leverage technology, and rethink our approach to health. Only then can we hope to reverse this silent crisis.”
