In recent years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been signalling its intent to become a major player in artificial intelligence, but now other Gulf countries are also getting serious about the technology. <\/p>\n
\u201cHere in the region, people were much more prepared to experiment and get involved with AI than maybe some other parts of the world,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
One issue around the rapid growth of AI is that it can be hugely energy intensive, and it is increasingly becoming a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Google reported that its 2023 emissions were nearly 50% more than in 2019, which it partly attributed to the energy demands of AI. Energy demand from AI, data centers and cryptocurrencies could double by 2026, according to the International Energy Agency. <\/p>\n
But Anderson believes that Gulf countries, whose economies are heavily dependent on fossil fuels, are well placed to become \u201cmajor players\u201d in the technology, and have the potential to make it greener. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re at the center of the world when it comes to energy \u2013 not just old energy, but particularly new energy,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the lowest-cost place anywhere in the world to produce solar energy. So the opportunity to combine sustainability and energy with the computer power that\u2019s required from an AI perspective is really important.\u201d <\/p>\n
Anderson pointed to the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the region\u2019s leading investors in AI. <\/p>\n
As Saudi Arabia looks to cut its economy\u2019s reliance on oil and gas, it has invested heavily in AI, which it says will help to realize the objectives outlined in its \u201cVision 2030\u201d strategy, a government program to diversify the economy. According to a recent projection from the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), which hosted the GAIN summit, AI will contribute 12% of its GDP by 2030, with the sector growing at an annual rate of 29%. <\/p>\n
There have been significant efforts across the region to develop Arabic-language models trained on local datasets that capture the nuances of the language in a way that has been lacking on platforms like ChatGPT. Last year, the UAE unveiled a tool called Jais and Saudi Arabia has developed the Arabic chatbot ALLaM. <\/p>\n
Last week, it was announced that ALLaM will be hosted on Azure, Microsoft\u2019s cloud computing platform. This follows the news from earlier this year that it would also be accessible through IBM\u2019s watsonx platform. <\/p>\n
Nick Studer, CEO at management consulting firm Oliver Wyman Group, who attended the GAIN summit, said that the focus on Arabic language models could help Saudi Arabia compete with English-speaking markets that have an \u201cunderlying advantage\u201d in the space because of the many large language models available <\/p>\n
According to Studer, there are over half a dozen Arabic-based large language models in development in the country, focusing on a range of uses cases, from chat to governmental and corporate applications. \u201cThat combination of governmental and private sector entrepreneurialism may well lead to the development of an AI hub, particularly as the kingdom and the wider region seek to diversify their economies,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
One of the major hurdles with the development of AI is public perception and governance: how should AI and data be regulated safely, securely, ethically and fairly? <\/p>\n
During the summit, various policies were announced, including the launch of guidelines from the SDAIA addressing the responsible use of deep fakes, the unveiling of the Riyadh Charter for AI in the Islamic World, which establishes a framework for developing AI technologies in line with Islamic values and principles, and a global framework for AI readiness, led by the International Telecommunication Union. <\/p>\n
Studer says a solid regulatory framework is essential for the future of AI. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are many concerns that go with the development of AI – not just privacy concerns, not just the risks of losing jobs, but also all the way up to national sovereignty if your economy starts to rely on a set of tools which are built outside of your control,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is critical that we have sensible regulation in place.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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