RIYADH: The Saudi Data and AI Authority showcased the Kingdom’s approach to building advanced artificial-intelligence systems at the UN General Assembly in New York this week.
Raied Al-Jadaany, assistant CEO for computer vision and audio technologies at the SDAIA, outlined the Kingdom’s approach to the technology, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
“Successfully addressing the fundamental challenges these technologies present is essential for unlocking AI’s transformative potential for global society,” Al-Jadaany said in a presentation.
Speaking during another session, Rehab bint Saad Al-Arfaj, the SDAIA’s director-general of strategic partnerships and indicators, demonstrated how theory has been transformed into concrete improvements in the lives of citizens and residents.
Al-Arfaj said Saudi Arabia’s National Data and AI Strategy recently earned first place in the Global AI Index’s government category.
A notable achievement has been Tawakkalna, the national application launched during the COVID-19 pandemic that has evolved into a unified platform offering over 1,000 government services.
The platform’s performance earned it the 2022 UN Public Service Award, for its substantial societal impact.
The Kingdom has also established a National Data Bank that connects more than 385 government platforms and provides access to 480 services.
This has generated substantial economic benefits, with savings and returns exceeding SR51 billion ($13.6 billion), according to the SPA.
Fawaz Al-Qahtani, director of modern technologies at the SDAIA’s National AI Center, addressed another session with strategies for using the technology.
He said automated technologies can generate cost savings between 10 and 30 percent.
Saudi Arabia also secured second place globally in public AI awareness, according to the 2023 Artificial Intelligence Index Report by Stanford University.
