AI’s Influence Goes Beyond Previous Industrial Revolutions

Simou Ilmi, the founder of “Harry” technology company, emphasized during the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2024 discussions that the impacts of artificial intelligence will be deeper and more radical than previous industrial revolutions.

He indicated the necessity of envisioning the future and developing infrastructure and supportive systems to establish a vital conglomerate of technology companies in the region that contribute to the development of highly advanced technology scenes on both regional and global levels.

A session titled “From the Lab to Company Launch: Roadmap for Deep Tech Startups in the Middle East” was hosted by Simo Alami and Akram Amir, the founder and CEO of “R Engineering” and Amin Staali, the founder and CEO of “Deep Minds”, on the “Entrepreneurs’ Platform”.

Scientific research has indicated that startups specializing in deep technology face multiple challenges, including the lack of necessary resources to support research and skill development, intellectual property rights, and difficulty in funding innovative and future ideas that are still in early stages. Artificial intelligence can help us in learning by building a digital twin and automating parts of the work to reduce time and costs.

Akram Amir stated that the United States and Europe have been working on long-term solutions to enhance the outcomes of the education process in line with market trends towards adopting modern systems and technologies.

The concept of “Augmented Reality” was created by engineers at Boeing 30 years ago and has been widely utilized by companies such as Meta and Apple.

According to statistics, deep tech companies take a long time to reach a productive and practical business model because extensive research is required to ensure the effectiveness of the technology. However, once they succeed, they enter the markets strongly and achieve high market shares.

The “Entrepreneurs’ Platform” hosted Muheet Kumar, the founder of “Ultrahuman,” and Ali Hashemi, co-founder and chairman of “Gluquer,” in a panel discussion entitled “Biological Hacking and Healthcare: The Next Frontier for Comprehensive Quality of Life,” moderated by Shaimaa Ghafoor.

Ali Hashemi pointed out that the term “biological hacking” (biohacking) refers to a hybrid healthcare system that combines the latest tools and advanced levels of technology, such as artificial intelligence, specific devices, along with traditional practices, genetics, herbal medicine, sports, and research-based dietary systems.

It presents one of the most enhanced and specialized health models to meet the needs of individuals, enhance public health, and improve comprehensive quality of life.

Hashemi emphasized that “biological hacking” embodies models of future work, as it represents a new behavior. For example, cars were invented and then developed for various needs such as transportation and sports, among other fields. Similarly, the healthcare sector has become a new field for individuals who take responsibility for their own health.

On his part, Mahit Kumar indicated that 20 to 30% of the population in the region suffer from diabetes, and more than half of the population have metabolic disorders, in addition to individuals who are overweight and at risk of developing diabetes.

He affirmed that the company “Ultra Human” is attempting to find a solution to this challenge through a wearable biosensor device that individuals can wear on their arms.

He added: The occurrence of diabetes can be prevented by encouraging individuals to improve their lifestyle through a tool that helps them understand their bodies and their reactions to different types of food. They can also become aware of their blood sugar and glucose levels.

This is the concept of biohacking that we are trying to promote among individuals to help them take control of their own health. That is why we collaborate with the healthcare system and medical professionals to achieve this goal.