AI Policy-Making in Service of Humanity: From Davos and Washington DC to Riyadh with Manail Anis Ahmed

What if our approach to AI and technology development is overlooking the most fundamental human value – dignity? In this thought-provoking episode of Poets & Thinkers, we explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, global policy, and human-centered technology with Manail Anis Ahmed.

As a global citizen who has shaped educational institutions in the Middle East and led AI policy research, Manail brings a unique cross-cultural perspective that challenges Western-dominated tech narratives.

Manail is adjunct faculty in Biotech Entrepreneurship at Johns Hopkins University, expert on education, technology & society, and contributes to the AI Governance Alliance at the World Economic Forum.

Manail takes us on a journey across continents, revealing how different societies are navigating the AI revolution through their unique cultural lenses. She unpacks how Saudi Arabia’s rapid transformation of women’s workforce participation offers surprising lessons for the West, and how technology workers in Africa are demanding dignity in the digital economy. Throughout our conversation, Manail makes a compelling case for placing human dignity at the center of our technological future.

In this enlightening discussion, we explore:

• Why technology development needs to prioritize dignity over innovation
• How the Global South is being exploited in AI development while being excluded from its benefits
• What Saudi Arabia's approach to women in the workforce teaches us about structural change
• The natural connection between women and entrepreneurship that venture capital overlooks
• Why "people, planet, and profit" must expand to include resilience and prosperity

Throughout our discussion, Manail articulates a powerful critique of hyper-capitalism and technological determinism. The United States, once the model for prosperity, now shows concerning signs of social fragmentation as its middle class splinters. “We are so insistent on protecting the right to innovation that we forget to protect the right to dignity,” she observes, providing a cautionary tale for developing nations tempted to adopt Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” mentality.

As we navigate the future of humanistic business leadership, Manail suggests moving beyond profit-first thinking toward resilience and context-specific prosperity. The fundamental question becomes: how can we build systems where people and societies don’t just function but truly thrive, while preserving our planet? The answer may determine whether our technological future enhances or diminishes our humanity.

Topics

00:30 - Introduction to Manail and her background as a global citizen 

02:50 - Teaching responsible AI at Princeton and how it connects to entrepreneurship 

10:40 - Manail's work with the Center for AI and Digital Policy 

13:50 - The World Economic Forum AI Governance Alliance and "Inclusive AI" 

16:00 - How workers in the Global South are exploited in AI development 

18:40 - The emergence of an African technology workers alliance 

21:00 - Balancing rapid AI deployment with thoughtful regulation 

23:00 - How the U.S. model of unbridled entrepreneurialism led to social fragmentation 

28:00 - Saudi Arabia's structural approach to enabling women in the workforce 

33:20 - Manail's experience creating liberal arts and business education in Sa

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