Arab News, Thursday, Nov 16, 2023 | 2 Jumada, 1445
AH
Careem to implement AI in secure manner in KSA
RIYADH:
Careem is set to implement artificial intelligence technology in a secure
manner to personalize user experience in Saudi Arabia, a top official told
Arab News.
Due to the inherently sensitive nature of the data collected by the app, it
is emphasizing the ethical use of the technology, ensuring that it is being
used in the “right way,” Srijith Nair, chief information security officer at
Careem, said on the sidelines of the Black Hat MEA 2023 forum.
“It (AI) will definitely be used in different parts of Careem. There will be
lots and lots more features, which will use the data that you’re producing
within our platform to give you better services i.e. food that you can order
based on your preferences, where you want to get picked up. Those kinds of
things will definitely come in,” he explained.
Nair added: “We work with customer data, captain data, partner data and so
on. As we grow in this region and scale specifically, it’s very important
for us to make sure that people trust the data that we have on you as a
customer, like where you are getting dropped off, your credit card details,
etc.”
He said the company’s main goal is for the customer to be able to utilize
their services while never feeling that their transactions with the domain
are being misused, namely in Saudi Arabia which he deems a “key market” for
the company.
“Saudi Arabia is a key market for Careem. This is where I see the potential
of being able to influence the socioeconomic aspects of Vision 2030. Each
geography comes with unique challenges and Saudi Arabia is no different in
that sense. So what we’re trying to make sure is that our products are
always reliable, but more importantly from my perspective, secure,” he
continued.
According to Nair, the company strongly emphasizes security initiatives,
aiming to have the “upper hand” when it comes to technology, ensuring that
“Careem’s technology has to be better than the attacker.”
In order to do so, the company is working closely with the Saudi authorities
to facilitate the sharing of knowledge as a preventative means to any cyber
incident. He views this symbiotic relationship as necessary to the
protection of the larger cyber ecosystem.
“We work closely with the Saudi government entities to make sure that when
there is a cyber incident, which kind of impacts not just Careem but the
wider ecosystem, we share knowledge and information as needed,” he
explained.
Nair noted that there is “a lot of potential” to beef up security within the
Saudi society and ecosystem, catalyzed by a strong drive for fast-paced
growth by both the population and the government.
“There is a lot of potential for security as a domain as the Saudi society
and the ecosystem becomes more and more digital … There is always going to
be a lot more technology needed within this region to kind of get to that
next level. So if you look at what the government is doing and the society
is asking for, it is the ability to go faster and faster, but doing that in
a sustained and a secure manner. I think that’s where that balance needs to
be struck out. I think Saudi Arabia is doing a great job at this point,
making sure that you’re doing the right thing, and you’re doing it fast,” he
noted.
In order to ensure this fast-paced growth is sustainable and protected,
Careem is emphasizing the “build up” of the Saudi talent pools in order to
defend interfaces like Careem against attackers in the Kingdom, Nair
explained. According to the security officer, the company is partnering with
engineering institutions to help find the “kind of people who can understand
how to protect information ecosystems” and offer them internships and
training at the company.
Nair added: “We are working with engineering institutions because it’s a
very fast-moving market, and there is a lot of difference between what you
understand from a theoretical point of view versus what is practically
needed as well, and closing the gap.”