New era requires responsible leadership

The fourth industrial revolution involving intelligence calls for a more inclusive style of leadership, said Danil Kerimi, regional deputy head of a Beijing-based World Economic Forum affiliated center.

Kerimi said the new global governance operating system requires leaders to be responsible to people as well as responsive to their demands.

Kerimi, who works at the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution China, said leaders need to be cognizant of the changing social, political, and technological environment so that they will be able to "provide leadership under the new changed circumstances".

The center works as a platform aiming to bring together leaders at the highest level from government, business and other sectors of the society to advance global cooperation in the field of science and technology.

Taking the development of urban transportation systems as an example, Kerimi said the innovation and application of driver's licenses and traffic lights reflected the leadership's adaptability and responsiveness to the technological disruption of the time.

"Changes are coming so much faster these days than in the past. By the time you finish analyzing all the data you're given, it's too late to act," he said, adding that qualified leaders should be able to act in an environment of imperfect and incomplete information while quickly correcting the mistakes they have found in the decision-making process.

Kerimi also noted that the current industrial revolution, although driven by technology, is still human centric, and artificial intelligence, along with other technologies, will only be powerful when used to "augment human abilities".

"It (AI) will have a tremendous impact on all areas of production and consumption of life. But at the same time, it's important for us not to forget that human beings need to be in the driving seat."

Besides, Kerimi suggested governments and organizations work together to ensure AI and other advanced technologies can be applied across borders as many parts of the world do not have the capacity to develop their own intelligence solutions.

Together with a few other countries, he said China has taken an important and leading position in the development of advanced technology and its experience could provide a good example for the world to learn from.

"I believe that with human ingenuity and technological capabilities we will be able to solve all the challenges that we're facing today."

Kerimi joined the World Economic Forum in 2008 and was responsible for leading engagement with governments and business leaders in Europe and Asia as well as developing the global public sector outreach strategy for cyberspace.

Previously, he worked as an expert on Terrorism Prevention at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for four years, and was the legal expert of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.