Saudi Arabia's AI Evolution: A Key Player in the UN Advisory Body

Despite concerns regarding the fears of artificial intelligence, in 2017, human-like robot Sophia was granted official citizenship in Saudi Arabia as the world’s first robot with the legal status of personhood (Wired UK). Since then, “Sophia achieved further recognition outside of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations Development Programme appointed the robot as the Innovation Champion and became the first non-human entity to receive such a title (United Nations).” Although Saudi Arabia’s initiation of allowing Sophia’s legal citizenship raised critical scrutiny from various international sources, particularly with scientists and politicians debating the complex issue of ‘robot citizenship, it is evident that Saudi Arabia’s interest in the development of the artificial intelligence industry has only grown over the years (Penn Political Review).

Recently on October 23rd, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres officially announced Saudi Arabia’s e inclusion in the United Nations (UN) Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. This advisory body is composed of government officials and representatives, private investors, technology related non profit organizations, and professors, and provides valuable insights and recommendations on issues related to global artificial intelligence (Saudi Gazette).

Additionally, Dr. Latifa bint Mohammad Al-Abdulkareem, a Saudi Arabian computer scientist specializing in “artificial intelligence ethics, legal technology and explainable AI,” was selected to represent Saudi Arabia at the UN Advisory Body of Artificial Intelligence. It’s worth noting that despite Saudi Arabia’s highly conservative and restrictive gender norms, Dr. Latifa bint Mohammad Al-Abdulkareem has succeeded as a prominent female leader within her respective academic fields of computer science and artificial intelligence. More specifically, Dr. Latifa currently serves as an assistant professor of computer science at King Saud University and is a visiting researcher in artificial intelligence and law at the University of Liverpool. In 2021, she was recognized as “one of the 100 brilliant women in AI ethics'' (Women in AI Ethics).

Such as in the case of Dr. Latifa bint Mohammad Al-Abdulkareem, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres underscored the diversity among the UN Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence’s representatives, particularly in the sense that they share diverse insights in terms of gender, ethnicity and age (Saudi Gazette). With the recent addition of Saudi Arabia on the UN Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence hopes to continue its interactions with the Middle East through platforms such as the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit held in 2022 (Saudi Gazette).

While concerns persist regarding the development of artificial intelligence, metaverse technology, and deepfake software, global initiatives from the United Nations Advisory Body help us realize the importance of harnessing the power of diversity to navigate the complex and multifaceted landscape of international artificial intelligence.