RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has been ranked third globally in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s AI Policy Observatory, behind the US and the UK.
Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, referenced the Kingdom’s advances during a panel discussion at the Internet Governance Forum on Monday at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.
Al-Ghamdi said that Saudi Arabia’s third-place global ranking highlighted the Kingdom’s substantial efforts at AI regulation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He credited the country’s recognition to its placing ethics at the heart of AI initiatives since the establishment of SDAIA in 2019, highlighting the international significance of this focus, the SPA added.
Al-Ghamdi added that the Kingdom’s AI Ethics Early Adopters initiative and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics were vital in enhancing trust in AI products and establishing ethical standards for AI practices and services.
He said that ICAIRE, which is based in Riyadh and sponsored by UNESCO, had been selected as a regional and global partner for advancing the AI ethics agenda.
Al-Ghamdi added that UNESCO had praised Saudi Arabia’s advances in the AI sector as part of a recent report evaluating countries’ readiness to adopt AI in accordance with ethical values and international standards.
He said that the Kingdom was prepared to share its expertise with other countries and had significantly contributed to establishing a UN-affiliated AI advisory body in 2023.
He added that Saudi Arabia had collaborated with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League to organize workshops on raising awareness about ethical evaluation tools for AI.
Al-Ghamdi said several initiatives had been launched during the Global AI Summit in Riyadh in September, including the Riyadh Charter on Artificial Intelligence, in partnership with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
He stressed that trust, transparency, clear guidelines, and proactive risk management were priorities that had positioned Saudi Arabia as a global leader in harnessing AI for the benefit of humanity.
