Overview:

The 4th Annual International Conference on “The Academic Economist’s Perspective on the Benefits and Risks of AI, Data Science, Blockchain, and Machine Learning” was hosted by Prof. Yaw Nyarko and Prof. Raša Karapandža on April 14-15, 2025 at New York University, Abu Dhabi.

In the fast-paced, ever-evolving tech landscape, AI and blockchain are transformative forces reshaping industries. This conference provided a forum for groundbreaking academic discussions that delve into these powerful technologies, as well as discussing challenges and opportunities, with a focus on the UAE and global economy. The conference convened academics, researchers, policymakers, and technologists to explore synergies at the intersection of AI, machine learning, and blockchain, as well as innovations in the fields of cryptocurrency, digital currencies, and fintech. The conference was co-hosted with the UAE Ministry of Economy working with a consortium of four universities including American University of Sharjah, NYU Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates University, and Zayed University.

The event garnered remarkable interest, with nearly 200 participants—the highest attendance to date—joining us across various sessions over the two-day conference. On day 1, the conference featured welcome remarks from the Vice Chancellor of NYUAD, Fabio Piano, and the Dean of the Division of Social Science, Paula England. We had a keynote address from H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy on the topic, “Beyond Oil: Rewiring the UAE Economy with AI.” We also had panel sessions on AI in healthcare and the next frontier of payments with speakers from NYU, the World Bank, and G42.

On day 2, we heard from several academics and industry experts working at the intersection of AI, cryptocurrency, digital currencies, fintech, health, agriculture, and the arts. They represented organizations such as ADGM, Ripple, Adia Lab, Hub71, Liquidity Capital, Khalifa University, and Rakbank, to mention a few. We also featured an exhibition and panel session with artists from Ghana. 

During the conference, we shared insights from our AI and Blockchain research project for the Center for Technology, Economics, and Development (CTED). We also presented our Gates Foundation-funded collaboration with the UAE Presidential Court, AIM for Scale, which addresses AI’s Role in Innovation, Scaling, and Transforming Agriculture.

Photo Credits: Elle.Laine and Tweneboah Isaac (2pm)