VIEWPOINT
THE PATH TO RESPONSIBLE AI SID BHATIA, REGIONAL DIRECTOR – MIDDLE EAST, DATAIKU, ON HOW TO MITIGATE AI RISKS
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rtificial intelligence (AI) solves real-world problems. We know this. We have seen it. Last year, we saw droves of regional businesses move to the cloud and, once there, realise that scalable, affordable smart technologies were within reach. Proofs of concept quickly followed, as did several success stories. And then, as AI grew in popularity, a concept that had largely been the subject of conversation among tech experts began to go mainstream. That concept is “responsible AI”. Hundreds of billions of dollars in commercial AI revenue is expected to flow to the Middle East by 2030, and contribute heavily to double-digit 30
CXO INSIGHT ME
SEPTEMBER 2021
GDP growth, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reaping the most benefits, followed by Saudi Arabia. GCC nations have been pioneers in artificial intelligence and the UAE has been a trendsetter among them. The country was the first in the world to appoint a minister of state for AI and in October 2017 it launched the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031. By the nation’s sixtieth anniversary celebrations, it aims to solve real-world problems that include the elimination of the federal government’s 250 million annual paper transactions. The UAE, like many countries, grasps the potential of smart technologies to supercharge economies and solve environmental and social issues. The
government’s AI strategy may focus on the 190 million people-hours wasted each year or the 1 billion unnecessary kilometers travelled for the sake of physical transactions. But stakeholders and public messaging also regularly refer to responsible AI. Align intent with consequences Responsible AI is a common framework that focuses organisations on the wider implications of their technology experiments. Methodologies and best practices in responsible AI seek to align intent with consequences and ensure that developers of AI solutions never lose sight of their impact beyond the enterprise. Broadly speaking, this requires collaboration among
