National and international experts gathered at the first two-day International Humanitarian Technology Conference 2024, organized by the Sindh Agricultural University (SAU) Information Technology Center in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Karachi Chapter, Tandojam. Addressing the audience, experts emphasized that the world is undergoing a revolutionary change with technological advancements, stressing the inevitability of development in society through artificial intelligence (AI) and humanitarian technologies.
SAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Fateh Marri, highlighted how technology, including AI interventions in cropping, farming, weather forecasting, water systems, livestock management, marketing, and GIS, has significantly facilitated the agricultural sector. Dr. Marri suggested that private sector investments of Rs 400 billion in agriculture could lead to substantial increases in research, a 5 percent annual production per acre, and significant boosts to the country’s GDP while reducing poverty and unemployment by 50 percent.
Dr. SM Tariq Rafi, Chairman of Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) Karachi, acknowledged the support SHEC provides to universities, faculty, and students through research programs and grants. He urged a focus on improving results in production and scientific research to catch up with developed countries.
Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar Chowdhury, Chairman of IEEE Karachi Chapter, commended Sindh Agricultural University for organizing the conference, emphasizing IEEE’s role in supporting technological development in various fields, including agri-tech, artificial intelligence, big data, and Industry 4.0.
Dr. Asadullah Shah from the International Islamic University of Malaysia discussed the transformative impact of technological advances and innovations on human life. He highlighted the role of Open AI chat GPT in revolutionizing human society with language, translation, and information retrieval.
The conference featured contributions from various experts and academic leaders, including Dr. Aijaz Ali Khooharo, Dr. Mir Sajjad Talpur, Dr. Muhammad Yakub Koondhar, Dr. Khalil Ahmed Ibupoto, Dr. Parveen Munshi, Dr. Jan Muhammad Marri, Dr. Falak Musa from Kenya, Prof. Aznan from Malaysia, Dr. Azhar Ali Shah, and representatives from universities including Sindh University, Mehran University, IBA Sukkur, NED University, Karachi University, and IOBM Karachi. Technical sessions included presentations of reports by the participating experts.
