Inma Martinez: AI is useless if it isn’t fed data. Data selection and verification are a human task

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tech entrepreneur Inma Martinez said AI is useless if it isn’t fed data, which is a human task, and that “clever creative humans know how to use it”, during her keynote speech at the 15th Limassol Economic Forum last week.

The expert gave a speech on “Demystifying Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Business”, where she delved into the complexities of AI and explored its transformative impact on the business world, how it is reshaping industries, driving innovation, and creating new opportunities for growth.

Martinez started off by breaking down the core principles of AI, explaining what it is, how it works, and why it matters for businesses today. She went on to provide real-world examples and case studies on how AI is being applied across various sectors to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and unlock new revenue streams.

Martinez then offered practical advice on how to integrate AI into business strategies – including overcoming common challenges and leveraging AI for competitive advantage.

One of the key components that makes AI work is data, according to the expert. “Data is what has propelled our civilisation. For 2000 years, humanity was gathering data and storing it. We kept storing it in physical forms and now all the data is in some cloud up there.”

All strategy and decision-making starts from keeping records, she added. “Gathering data is nothing new. We’ve been doing it ever since mankind started to make progress. Today, we gather data because of the need to know, which is why everything is exploding into trying to figure out how to interpret the data that comes to us.”

As Martinez pointed out, data collection is what put climate change in the government agenda.

Responding to the age-old question, can AI really replace humans, Martinez says at least for now, the human element is vital.

“Clever creative humans know how to use it. AI is not going to think up solutions by itself; you need real talented people to do that,” she said, adding: “AI is useless if it isn’t fed data. Data selection and verification are a human task.”