
Imagine this: a world where the boundaries between nations are rewritten not because of aggression, but algorithms. Where global power hinges not on armies or economies, but lines of code. It’s a high-stakes game, and Carme Artigas is rewriting the rulebook.
Artigas, Spain’s former Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, is at the forefront of shaping how societies grapple with the meteoric rise of AI. Think of her as part referee, part architect in the global race to harness AI without letting it run amok. Under her charge Spain became one of the first countries to roll out an AI ethics code, a bold move in a world still struggling to tell friend from algorithmic foe.
Artigas is like Neo in The Matrix – she sees the code, but she’s also shaping the whole simulation. A trained chemical engineer turned data scientist, she combines a sharp technical mind with a crystal-clear vision of what’s at stake. It’s why she’s now Co-Chair of the UN Council on AI, helping draft what could be the Magna Carta for machines.
The UN’s 2024 report on Governing AI for Humanity implores that global regulation of AI is “irrefutable,” warning that AI development can't be left to market forces alone. Artigas is at the heart of this critical call for international oversight, ensuring AI remains a force for good, not a tool of unchecked power.
But Artigas doesn’t mince words when it comes to risks. She’s flagged “AI colonialism” – a dystopian future where a handful of tech giants dictate terms to the rest of the world. Yet, she’s also a relentless optimist, championing AI’s potential to tackle humanity’s biggest problems, from predicting pandemics to fixing the planet’s climate.
Her mantra? Technology should serve people, not enslave them. As she puts it, “The real question isn’t what AI can do, but what it should do.”
At SYNAPSE 2025, Carme Artigas will take us on a journey through the heart of this digital labyrinth. In the mud-pit fight between unchecked innovation and ethical governance, how do we ensure AI becomes humanity’s ally, not adversary? Can we write global rules for a technology that knows no borders? And in a world increasingly automated, how do we hold on to what makes us human? Her session is more than a discussion – it’s a wake-up call for anyone wondering how to survive, thrive, or even just exist in the age of AI.