المملكة: Praising it.. “UNESCO” highlights the Kingdom’s achievements in artificial intelligence

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) issued its international report on the readiness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of artificial intelligence.
This comes as a tribute to what it has achieved in this advanced technical field, as the report comes within UNESCO’s initiatives to support member states by measuring their readiness to adopt artificial intelligence (RAM) in ways that are consistent with ethical values ​​and recognized international standards.

Saudi Arabia’s achievements in artificial intelligence

The report praised the progress achieved by the Kingdom in artificial intelligence, making it a global model for adopting these advanced technologies.
The report reviewed the Kingdom’s journey in this field through the establishment of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in 2019, and the launch of the National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence in 2020.
He praised government support for the advancement of artificial intelligence in the Kingdom until it achieved a number of achievements in the regulatory environment for artificial intelligence.

Fostering innovation while managing risk

As well as promoting innovation while managing risks, supporting cooperation between the government and private sectors, developing education, raising the level of professions with these technologies, and empowering women in artificial intelligence.
The report touched on the development of the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) developed by UNESCO, to assess the readiness of countries to adopt artificial intelligence in an ethical and responsible manner.
For the Kingdom, the methodology included six main areas: national governance, legislation and regulations, society, culture and economy, research and education, economic dimensions, and technical infrastructure.

Sustainable positive results

In this context, Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, praised, in her speech at the beginning of the report, the efforts of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority in establishing strong foundations for governance.
She expressed her appreciation for the existing cooperation between the Kingdom and UNESCO and her confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to achieve positive, sustainable results through artificial intelligence.
She indicated that the Kingdom has a clear road map to achieve effective and sustainable use of artificial intelligence technologies, which ensures that artificial intelligence technologies achieve fair, sustainable and comprehensive results.

The most prominent achievements of Saudi Arabia

The report reviewed the most prominent achievements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in artificial intelligence, including its topping in global indicators, as it achieved first place globally in the “Government Strategy for Artificial Intelligence” according to the Global Artificial Intelligence Index 2024.
It also achieved second place globally in public awareness of artificial intelligence, according to the 2023 Artificial Intelligence Index report, and ranked first regionally in overall performance of artificial intelligence.
He also discussed developments in infrastructure, including increasing the capacity of data centers to 204 megawatts in 2023, launching the “Shaheen 3” supercomputer, and improving digital communication through initiatives such as the SPINE platform.

The field of innovation and scientific research

He also discussed the Kingdom’s achievement in the field of innovation and scientific research, as the number of scientific research in artificial intelligence doubled from 4,100 in 2019 to 10,500 in 2023, and the launch of centers of excellence in this field, such as: KAUST-SDAIA Center.
This is to enhance innovation in artificial intelligence and empower women to work in these advanced technical fields, which resulted in an increase in the percentage of women’s participation in the workforce from 20% in 2017 to 34% in 2024.
The report also discussed the Kingdom’s achievements in the field of huge investments, as investments worth more than $3.9 billion were attracted in 2023, and the establishment of national companies specialized in the field of artificial intelligence.
This is in addition to addressing the Kingdom’s distinction in international presence, as it hosted the World Summit on Artificial Intelligence, which has become a leading platform at the international level and has promoted effective participation in global artificial intelligence conferences and forums to enhance international cooperation.