Arab News, Thursday, Sep 15, 2022 | Safar 19, 1444
Saudi Arabia and IBM reach agreement to develop AI-based sustainability initiatives
Saudi Arabia:
American tech giant IBM has signed an
agreement with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence to
accelerate sustainability initiatives including carbon capture technology in the
Kingdom using artificial intelligence.
The announcement regarding the strategic
partnership was made during the 2nd Global AI Summit in Riyadh on Sept. 14.
The agreement will be in collaboration with the
Kingdom’s Ministry of Energy, SDAIA, Ministry of Energy and IBM, and it will
make use of artificial intelligence technology to detect, map, and eventually
reduce carbon emissions across the country.
“This agreement with IBM will contribute to
creating opportunities by addressing key challenges in the circular carbon
economy, petrochemical and industrial domains, through the development of
innovative solutions in the field of data and artificial intelligence,” said
Majid Al-Tuwaijri, CEO of the National Center of AI.
Ahmed Al-Zahrani, Ministry of Energy’s assistant
minister for development and excellence said: “The agreement will play a key
role in promoting the adoption of the circular carbon economy, achieving the
goals announced during the Saudi Green Initiative.”
The new agreement with IBM is also a part of Saudi
Arabia’s ambitious target to achieve net zero emissions by 2060 and to support
the global effort to cut emissions.
Saudi Arabia develops AI Ethics Principle
During the 2nd Global AI Summit, Saudi Arabia also
announced its AI Ethics Principles for public consultation.
These principles developed by SDAIA are expected
to be a practical guide to incorporating AI ethics throughout the AI system
development life cycle.
According to a press release, the seven AI
principles proposed by SDAIA are fairness, privacy and security, humanity,
social and environmental benefits, reliability and safety, transparency and
explainability, and accountability and responsibility.
“We believe these principles will help us move
into the next generation of innovation in a multitude of projects,” said
Abdullah Sharaf Al Ghamdi, president of SDAIA.
He added: “SDAIA has done an excellent job in
encapsulating our responsibilities in implementing AI, and we hope to continue
developing and implementing AI that exceeds these expectations.”
SDAIA joining World Bank’s DDP
During the event, Abdullah bin Sharaf Al Ghamdi
announced that Saudi Arabia is joining the World Bank’s digital development
partnership.
“We share a common vision with the DDP. The
partnership will bring together public and private sector partners, and will
accelerate safe and inclusive digital transformation in developing countries,”
said Al Ghamdi.
He added: “I am confident that we will make a real
difference. I am looking forward to a fruitful collaboration.”