Doha, Qatar: Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has been integrated into various sectors in Qatar and started to make an impact.
From Arabic language processing to smart cities, AI’s multifaceted impact is reshaping industries, said Dr. Sanjay Chawla, Research Director of the Data Analytics Department at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and member of Qatar Foundation.
Speaking to The Peninsula, he emphasised the influence of AI across sectors.
“AI technology has impacted various sectors in Qatar, including Arabic language processing, digital health, social media monitoring, smart cities, and cybersecurity. Some form of AI technology has permeated nearly all walks of life,” said Dr. Chawla.
“In healthcare, AI can be used to personalize treatment and improve healthcare delivery efficiencies. In transportation, AI can ease congestion and reduce traffic accidents and planning. In the energy sector, AI can be used for data-driven decision-making to improve the overall energy delivery pipeline,” he added.
According to Dr. Chawla, Qatar has a world-class digital infrastructure system. In some well-known AI-readiness index, Qatar ranks highly in the Arab world. However, he said Qatar can learn from other advanced small countries like Singapore, Taiwan, and Denmark how to bootstrap a robust digital infrastructure to create a flourishing AI ecosystem.
Ensuring responsible and ethical use of AI technologies includes safeguarding individuals’ privacy by minimising data collection and employing strong data protection practices. It also involves enhancing security to prevent unauthorized access, manipulation, or breaches of AI systems.
QCRI has a robust cybersecurity research program addressing safety concerns associated with AI. For example, a team in QCRI recently designed a new system to detect AI systems that an adversary may have maliciously hijacked.
“The most important way to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI is for Qatar to have an AI governance framework that coordinates the deployment of AI technology across the board. An important aspect of AI governance is proper use of data attributable to and of high quality,” said Dr. Chawla.
Recently, at the AI for Good 2023 global summit, a panel of robots and their creators sat in front of the press to answer journalists’ questions on topics such as job automation.
Dr. Chawla commented on it, “The purpose of the press conference was to highlight the impact of AI on jobs. This is a concern, but most experts believe that jobs will be augmented with AI rather than completely replaced.”
