According to Statista, 5.3 billion people around the world have access to the Internet. Our connection to one another through personal, business, and commercial relationships has been virtualized, and today, tens of thousands of organizations are enmeshed in sweeping digital transformation programs to take advantage of this connectivity. Another projection from Statista puts this year’s global spending on digitally transformative technologies at US$2.5 trillion, rising to US$3.4 trillion by 2026. Industry 4.0 technologies – AI, cloud, and others – are allowing enterprises to weather global crises and reinvent entire industries.
The Kingdom leads
As humans create a digital economy – a digital world – innovation by innovation, Saudi Arabia is leading the way. Vision 2030 has offered a blueprint for sustainable progress, with non-oil GDP growth standing at 5% in 2023. At the heart of this transformation lies a range of technology projects that have propelled the country to the very top of a range of international indexes, including number-two spots on the 2021 G20 Digital Competitiveness Report and the ITU’s 2022 Global Cybersecurity Index. By the end of 2023, the Kingdom’s digital economy was a staggering US$40-billion segment that had created some 318,000 jobs. It is now poised for further investment of almost US$25 billion by 2025.
Nowhere is the country’s digital progress more prominent than in the field of artificial intelligence, where the government has taken bold steps to encourage private and public sector enterprises to embrace AI and related emerging technologies to drive economic diversification, job creation, and social development. This commitment includes various initiatives and programs that encourage the public sector to adopt AI and leverage data analytics for informed decision-making.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is at the forefront of these efforts. One of their most notable contributions is the annual LEAP conference, which serves as a major platform for discussing the future of AI and technology. This event attracts global experts and innovators, facilitating collaborations and showcasing advancements that enhance Saudi Arabia's position in the AI domain.
A bigger stage
Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in the field of generative artificial intelligence (AI), positioning itself as a global hub for cutting-edge AI technologies. Under the leadership of His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown the Kingdom has established the Center of Excellence for Generative Artificial Intelligence in 2023. This initiative aims to unlock the potential of generative AI and harness AI-generated content and innovation. Furthermore, an insightful guide on generative artificial intelligence (AI) was released last year by SDAIA (Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence), providing a comprehensive overview of the development process for a generative AI model. This step aimed to increase both local and international awareness regarding the significance of AI technologies in shaping the future of digital humanity in unique and unconventional ways. By taking this initiative, the Kingdom demonstrated its firm dedication to harnessing the power of generative AI to enhance communication and streamline efficiency across various fields. According to the Financial Times Report, Saudi Arabia has also acquired 3,000 units of Nvidia's H100 chips, specifically designed for generative AI, through the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. These chips strengthen the Kingdom's capabilities in driving AI-driven innovation across sectors.
Arabic AI
2023 was named the year of Arabic poetry in the Kingdom which highlights the importance of Arabic literature and content and its impact on all Arabic speaking countries. The focus on Arabic content from the Kingdom does not stop at merely reciting historical poems that built the identities of the everyday Arabic speaker. Saudi Arabia is particularly concentrating on vital areas for the Arabic language, and a key focus is on Arabic digital data, which essentially powers artificial intelligence. At Mozn, we affirm that without data, AI cannot thrive.
When it comes to Artificial Intelligence, especially the generative kind, we unfortunately see a global direction towards maximising the potential of Latin languages within the field of AI and a lack of focus on Arabic data and content. Who among us haven’t typed up a question into ChatGPT in Arabic that provided a hilariously inaccurate response. Therefore, Arabic Gen AI is a niche market and Saudi Arabia is setting the ground to become the biggest exporter of Arabic first AI through enabling the private sector to innovate, build locally and finally spotlight Arabic data as an international priority for the more than 350+ million speakers of the language. The Kingdom’s biggest government entities are utilising Arabic AI to decide budgets, enable personalised Arabic educational content, build comprehensive AI-powered decision support centre’s which are all propelling Saudi Arabia to become one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world.
These achievements and concrete aspirational goals align with Saudi Vision 2030, positioning Saudi Arabia as a global leader in advanced AI technologies. The country aims to become a global technological powerhouse by embracing generative AI and driving content creation, innovation, and research.
Responsibility = prosperity
According to PwC, the Middle East is set for an estimated US$320-billion “economic impact” from AI by 2030, Saudi Arabia being the biggest benefactor. In the Kingdom, AI may contribute as much as US$135.2 billion to GDP by the end of the decade. These and other estimates show the future of AI being integrated into everyday life is all but assured. All that remains is that we ensure all players in the AI story conduct themselves for the good of society as a whole.
All of us who work in the field of AI must play our part. We must adopt the highest standards of governance to protect data privacy and eliminate bias and other unwelcomed outcomes from AI models. Collaboration is the key to further the Kingdom’s economic vision and cultural values and build a more inclusive and prosperous future for the entire planet.
