Huawei’s Li Peng: Unleashing New Growth in 5G and New 5.5G Commercialization
Why AI and machine learning are a game-changer for Iraqi society
By Mardin Abdullah Anwar, Director of ICT and Statistics at Salahaddin University- Erbil, Iraq
Practical AI applications will become pervasive within the next decade. According to a survey by Gartner, the number of enterprises using AI has increased by 270% in recent years. Widespread use of AI will generate new demands for intelligence and incubate new technologies, products, industries, businesses, and models.
While sectors such as manufacturing have a long history of automation, mechanical engineering is seen as the next frontier for adding intelligence, and insiders predict a paradigm shift in the way we design, develop, build, and test components and machines.
At its heart, the application of AI in the mechanical engineering department at Salahaddin University is no different from factory automation. The idea is to transfer repetitive and strenuous tasks to machines that can do this more efficiently and at less cost. In mechanical engineering, AI and machine learning will carry out a lot of the intense data crunching, leaving engineers to focus on using their analytical skills and expertise to make the final decisions.
We designed the AI course at the university to combine theory and practical techniques, which has greatly helped students implement the technology in their applications. Because of this, we see AI having a significant influence on the students when applied in real-life scenarios. Time and time again, they have been able to detect and recognize faults in mechanical hardware using the knowledge they had gained from the course.
Furthermore, 4IR technologies such as IoT produce large volumes of O&M data. Analyzing all this data is beyond human capability, making a case for widespread AI applications. According to the Huawei Global Industry Vision (GIV) forecast, incremental data will reach 180 zettabytes in 2025, far beyond a human’s processing capability. With data being such a critical asset for enterprises, using AI to analyze and process data effectively and make decisions improve enterprises’ production efficiency and intelligence. This will become a core task for enterprises in their business operations. By 2025, an estimated 86 per cent of global enterprises will use AI, Huawei estimates.
Another benefit for enterprises is AI-powered predictive maintenance. AI can ingest volumes of data to anticipate and address potential issues before they lead to breakdowns in operations, processes, services, or systems. Having strong predictive maintenance capabilities enables businesses to anticipate potential breakdowns in service before they happen and proactively respond before interruptions in services. For example, in the oil & gas sector, sending crews to oil rigs for routine inspections is expensive and potentially dangerous.
But experts warn widespread AI applications will worsen an already acute tech skills crunch. Therefore, a renewed focus on ICT skills development is a priority for Iraq and other countries in the Middle East. Universities can only do so much, and leveraging the capabilities of technology companies and industry exposes students to the type of advanced technology they can expect in the real world.
Huawei is an excellent example of enterprise-university collaboration in support of talent development. Despite a decline in revenues last year, the company continued with its tradition of dedicating significant resources to supporting flourishing talent ecosystems. These initiatives include Huawei ICT Academy, a non-profit partnership through which universities and colleges worldwide can provide students with industry-recognized Huawei training and certification courses that employers value. The program serves as a bridge between companies and colleges, helping build a talent ecosystem for the ICT industry.
Further, Huawei announced an upgrade of its flagship CSR program last year, launching “Seeds for the Future Program 2.0.” As part of this program, Huawei pledged to invest US$150 million in digital talent development over the next five years with a target of benefitting more than three million additional people.
Our own institution, Salahaddin University-Erbil, has hosted the Huawei ICT Academy since 2020. Our students benefit from an industry-centric talent development program while supplying Iraqi businesses and public organizations with high-quality ICT talent. For example, two teams comprising students from Salahaddin University – Erbil and other local universities took the third prize in the 2021 edition of the Huawei Middle East ICT Competition.
In the user-centric intelligent world, usage scenarios and experiences are evolving. The boundaries between products and services continue to break down, with many converging scenarios, including home, travel, office, entertainment, and fitness and health. Soon all content and services will travel with users for a completely seamless, holistic experience. Smart collaboration between software and devices will give users an intelligent experience anytime, anywhere. At the same time, developments in natural interaction and machine learning will take the service quality of smart devices to a whole new level. Smart devices will be able to better identify, understand, and respond to users’ needs across different scenarios throughout their day, paving the way for a truly personalized experience. This is the future that awaits our youth, and we must equip them with the necessary resources to not only live it but create it.