Saudi Arabia Monday officially announced the Global AI Summit, a new global-level platform to promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies. The summit will be held under the aegis of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, chairman of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). The Global AI Summit will take place at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center and Ritz Carlton Hotel on March 30-31, and will be the leading international forum to advance AI and create knowledge sharing and interchange among global AI experts. The summit will also highlight Saudi Arabia's ambitions to become a leader in AI technology, and drive discussions and partnerships between local and international stakeholders in the AI field. The event will be a focus for discussion on AI, its importance, applications and impact on societies, economies and politics. The Global AI Summit was announced on the sidelines of the Foreign Investment Initiative (FII 2019) during a talk given by Dr. Abdullah Bin Sharaf Alghamdi, president of SDAIA. Dr. Abdullah said: "Artificial intelligence is playing a central role in the digital transformation of all sectors of human activity, from business and enterprise, to key national industries, government, healthcare, and many more areas beside. "AI is bringing us new insight and new capabilities that is reshaping the world around us. The Global AI Summit will become an international platform to discuss those changes and to understand how AI technology can be utilized for the benefit of all." The SDAIA was established by Royal decree in August 2019, to become the main government entity to facilitate and enable the adoption of AI in the Kingdom, particularly in relation to achieving the Vision 2030 goals. The summit is intended to be a forum for high-level engagement, with attendance from government leaders, heads of enterprise and industry, and technology companies, along with academics and researchers in AI; AI startups, investors and entrepreneurs. The summit will include a full program of keynote sessions from thought leaders in the field of AI and related disciplines, along with plenary sessions and breakouts to create the world's most active forum for discussion and interaction around AI. The focus will be on enabling a global conversation, and creating dialogue centered on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and how participating countries and enterprises can become leaders in deploying AI in practical applications in key vertical sectors and innovative new deployments. The event also aims to drive knowledge exchange and create new partnerships between companies, academic institutions and innovators in artificial intelligence. The summit will be complemented by an exhibition and AI Experience Zone that will allow attendees to experience AI in action and explore different deployments and use cases for the technology. — SG
