RIYADH:- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia proudly announces its AI Ethics Principles for public consultation. They were designed by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) to be a practical guide to incorporating AI ethics throughout the AI system development life cycle. AI Ethics principles recognize the importance of developing artificial intelligence and technology innovation into the Kingdom's services for its citizens and visitors. After analyzing global and domestic standards and guidelines for AI use, SDAIA has developed an operational framework that entities can use to promote AI while limiting the technology's irresponsible use. AI ethics will provide a common ground or standards to help the Kingdom avoid or reduce technology limitations.

The second edition of the Global AI Summit kicked off Tuesday morning in the Saudi capital Riyadh, bringing together various stakeholders and academics to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and the Kingdom's contribution to this field. Over 200 speakers representing 90 countries have come together for the global summit that will run until September 15 at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center and under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Global AI Summit, organized by Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), will touch on topics such as the impact of AI on the public and private sectors, healthcare, environment, transportation, smart cities and culture among other matters. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app. SDAIA said on its website that "tech companies, startups, investors, and entrepreneurs [will] meet at the Global AI Summit to shape the future of AI." Speaking at the opening ceremony of the summit, Saudi Minister of Communications & Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha said that Saudi Arabia "has become the largest tech force of coders and data scientists," adding that there are currently more than 70,000 trainees in this field.

The world is witnessing rapid technological advances in the fields of data science and artificial intelligence (AI). From helping fight climate change to addressing all the other sustainable development goals of the United Nations, valuable use cases show how cutting-edge data and AI applications can improve our daily lives. At the same time, public awareness initiatives are still behind the curve, leaving many people feeling ambivalent about AI. Moreover, for non-technical readers, disparate definitions of data and AI terms can impede easy understanding of these dynamic fields. Despite global summits, educational publications, and ample media coverage, the fields of AI and data science stand to benefit from an agreed set of accessible definitions and terminologies.

US-headquartered IQVIA is the latest health information technology and clinical research company to partner with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), it has been announced. The multinational – described as "a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry" – has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi government agency to "explore opportunities of mutual interest and support innovation in the field of health data in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)." According to the country's official news agency, both parties will reportedly collaborate on joint ideas and research in data and artificial intelligence (AI), build a centre for "innovation and knowledge", and develop training programmes that can make use of this data and AI in the health sector. The agreement was co-signed by Majid Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, supervisor of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) at the SDAIA; and Mohamed Mostafa Elbadawy, IQVIA's General Manager for KSA and Egypt. "This MoU will contribute towards creating opportunities for development and growth in the health sector, supporting the goals of Vision 2030," said Al-Tuwaijri.

RIYADH: The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) signed an agreement with the American multinational computer company Dell Technologies, combining the two organizations' expertise in emerging technologies to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Kingdom. As Saudi Arabia aims to diversify its economy away from oil under Saudi Vision 2030, it is stepping up efforts to drive innovation and the use of AI. As part of this agreement, SDAIA will be provided with consulting services that will help them leverage solutions within AI, cloud, data analytics and enterprise storage, as part of the Kingdom's digital transformation. "This strategic collaboration will also witness an exchange of industry best practices and expertise needed to develop integrated projects that will serve the needs of public sector entities' technology across Saudi Arabia," SDAIA and Dell said in a joint statement. The agreement was signed last week during GITEX Technology Week 2020 in Dubai between Dr. Esam Al-Wagait, director of Saudi Arabia's National Information Center (NIC), and Mohammed Amin, senior vice president of Dell's Middle East wing.

SDAIA and Alibaba Cloud announced an MoU to partner in supporting Saudi Arabia's path to develop smart cities through AI, SPA said. "Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has clear goals to transform KSA cities into smart ones by unlocking the value of city data as a national asset to realize Vision 2030 aspirations," said Abdullah Bin Sharaf Alghandi, President of SDAIA. SDAIA and Huawei signed an MOU to recognise Arabic language and character using AI technology and with the help of researchers from the kingdom and Huawei, according to SDAIA's twitter account. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 reform plan is a package of economic and social policies designed to free the kingdom from dependence on oil exports. SDAIA is seeking IBM's help in developing "real use cases" of AI in areas of health, energy and other sectors, as well as training through a strategic relationship, it said.

Established by a royal decree issued on 30 August 2019, SDAIA is responsible for overseeing the national data and AI strategy through three executive arms: The National Data Management Office (NDMO), the National Information Center (NIC), and the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI). Through its vision, SDAIA seeks to establish the Kingdom as a global leader among the league of data-driven economies. Its mission relies on unlocking the value of data as a national asset to realize Vision 2030 aspirations by setting the national data and AI strategy and overseeing its execution through harmonized data policies, data and insights capabilities, and continuous AI and data innovation. Given that nearly 70% of the strategic goals, as mentioned, are AI and data related, the role of SDAIA is imperative. Speaking earlier this year at the launch of its brand identity, Dr. Abdullah Bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, the President of SDAIA, said, "We have witnessed first-hand, the early impact of AI and data-driven initiatives and their potential to propel Saudi Arabia's future economy, but we are still in the early stages with several untapped opportunities available. We, at SDAIA, have been tasked with defining the national data and AI strategy, and delivering on our nation's vision for the future by optimizing our national resources, improving efficiencies and enabling the creation of diversified economic sectors."

LONDON: A data and artificial intelligence (AI) summit will be held in Saudi Arabia in October, it was announced on Friday. The Global AI Summit, under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and organized by the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), will take place on October 7-8 with the theme "AI for the Good of Humanity." SDAIA said the summit will be a virtual one due to the ongoing precautionary measures put in place by the Saudi government to tackle the spread of COVID-19. The summit will discuss how AI trends can assist the global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, some inspirational insights about future requirements for regulators, investors, and companies in the field of AI as well as how AI will develop in the future. Among the participants will be many distinguished speakers and global experts from different countries, who will cover a range of topics divided into four sectors: 'Shaping the New Normal,' 'AI and Governments,' 'Governing AI' and'The Future of AI.' According to a SDAIA statement, the event will tackle global changes and their impact on the transformation of AI and review how AI technologies can be used to create a better future for all, in addition to highlighting the most prominent technical challenges facing the global AI community today and how to develop AI technologies safely and ethically in various applications that affect human life.

Yet another country has gone to release the potential of artificial intelligence to fuel its economic growth plans. One of the largest oil manufacturing nations, Saudi Arabia, has now formulated and launched a nation-wide policy on AI. The project has been signed with approval from King Salman and aims to add the market value of up to 500 billion riyals (US$133 billion) in the country's GDP by 2030. The policy formulation had begun last year when the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was established through a royal decree in August 2019 to lead the charge of the nation's transformation into a data-driven economy. Besides, the body is working on implementing a cloud platform, intending to build one of the biggest cloud frameworks in the Middle East by connecting 83 data centres controlled by over 40 government bodies.

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was set up by a Royal Decree in August 2019. The organisation oversees the National Data Management Office, the National Information Center and the National Center for Artificial Intelligence. "Data is the single most important driver of our growth and reform and we have a clear roadmap for transforming Saudi Arabia into a leading AI and data-driven economy," said Dr Abdullah bin Sharaf Al Ghamdi, president of SDAIA, according to regional news website gulfnews.com. The country is establishing a national data bank to consolidate more than 80 government datasets, the equivalent to 30 per cent of the government's digital assets. It is also planning to build one of the largest clouds in the region by merging 83 data centres owned by more than 40 government bodies.