By GLADYS KILA
THE International Training Institute hosted the first-ever AI Summit 2025, an event that aims to educate the nation, industries, and individuals on how to approach artificial intelligence.
Experts from the ICT sectors of international and domestic institutions turned out in numbers to present and contribute insights into the latest trends of AI.
Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Timothy Masiu, who was part of the summit, thanked ITI and the PNG Center for Advancement of Internet Technology for organizing this summit.
He described this summit as timely. “I believe this forum is a first of its kind for AI, it is timely, and it speaks volumes of how far our nation has come in embracing the digital age.”
The summit was inaugurated by Associate Dean of IT, James Cook University, Brisbane, Dr. Paul Darwen, and, Dr. Sangeetha Kutty, Lecturer in ICT at Central Queensland University, both speakers spoke on the importance of Artificial intelligence.
Associate Professor in ICT at Central Queensland University, Dr. Ritesh Chugh, who was the keynote speaker, spoke on how various sectors in Papua New Guinea could embrace AI.
In his speech, he highlighted opportunities AI presents for PNG, outlining potential applications across various industries.
- For Mining & Oil and Gas – AI can analyze and survey data, perform remote sensing, conduct chemical analysis, analyze seismic data, and help with predictive maintenance.
- In Manufacturing – Improving inventory levels and forecasting production. In
- Tourism – enhancing customer experience through generative AI.
Dr. Chugh also highlighted the challenges associated with AI, echoing concerns about the high resources, the importance of data quality, and the need for continuous training of AI models.
However, despite the underlying concerns, Dr. Chugh reiterates that the inaugural AI summit in PNG marks a significant step towards embracing AI potential while acknowledging the challenges.
As the nation embarks on this journey, collaboration between industries, government, and education sectors will be crucial to navigate the complexities and harness the transformational power of artificial intelligence for the benefit of Papua New Guinea.