The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), at its forty-second session today, approved granting the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) in the city of Riyadh the status of a second-class international center under the auspices of UNESCO, in the presence of the President of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, Dr. Abdullah. Al-Ghamdi, the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, and the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science.
This Saudi achievement comes within the framework of the Kingdom’s permanent support for the mission of UNESCO aimed at promoting everything positive in people’s lives, and in confirmation of its local, regional, and international commitments, and its existing efforts to support the fields of artificial intelligence and its uses in order to serve the countries of the world, especially developing countries, where the center will be Supporting the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO program priorities, and expanding their scope in the field of artificial intelligence, with a focus on Arab countries in the Middle East region.
The Kingdom is one of the first countries to adopt the recommendations for artificial intelligence ethics that were adopted by UNESCO in November 2021 with the participation of 193 countries. Sadaya issued the principles of artificial intelligence ethics during the World Summit on Artificial Intelligence in its second edition in September 2022 AD, and on Muharram 7, 1445 AH, corresponding to July 25, 2023 AD. The Council of Ministers issued a decision approving the establishment of a center called the “International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics,” which will be headquartered in the city of Riyadh and enjoy legal personality and financial and administrative independence.
The Kingdom’s hosting of this center supports its efforts to achieve leadership in the field of artificial intelligence and enhances its role in coordinating international and regional cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence policies, ethics, and research.
- The center’s work is scheduled to focus on four areas: providing support in research and development in the field of artificial intelligence, enhancing awareness and communication regarding the ethics of artificial intelligence, providing recommendations related to artificial intelligence policies as well and building artificial intelligence capabilities and contributing to global efforts that serve humanity. In the field of artificial intelligence.
