IGF 2024 WS #192 Innovation and Economic growth through AI in the Arab World

    Organizer 1: Qusai AlShatty, ??
    Organizer 2: Zeina Bouharb, OGERO

    Speaker 1: Chafic Chaya, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
    Speaker 2: Yik Chan Chin, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 3: Belal AlHafnawi, Government, Asia-Pacific Group

    Moderator

    Qusai AlShatty, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

    Online Moderator

    Zeina Bouharb, Government, Asia-Pacific Group

    Rapporteur

    Qusai AlShatty, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

    Format

    Roundtable
    Duration (minutes): 60
    Format description: The Workshop will be conducted on a collaborative open discussion format to ensure the maximum benefit from the views and inputs of all the workshop participants and attendees. The Roundtable format will be the most suitable format that sets the workshop attendees in entering the open discussion and collaborative mode.

    Policy Question(s)

    • What strategies are essential to develop and effectively deploy localised open AI tools across the Arab world?
    • What are the key enablers for AI to drive a culture of innovation and stimulate sustainable economic growth in the Arab world?
    • What collaborative processes can be established to develop a widely accepted ethical framework for AI usage in the Arab world?

    What will participants gain from attending this session? The participants will build a better understanding of the AI current status of use in the Arab region. They will be able to assess the gap with other regions of the worlds and find out if these regions have the same challenges.

    What is more important is how these challenges can be addressed, what lessons can be learned from others, and how can AI be an available tool to the mass in the Arab world.

    Description:

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) became a driving force in innovation, development, and economic growth. Countries and regional groups around the world harnessed AI and leveraged its capabilities to strengthen their intellectual lead in science, industry and services to maintain their competitive edge. Others used it to bridge the gap with other advanced communities and build their human capital and organizational capabilities.

    As a result, AI was a key factor in recent years for economic growth and competitiveness. A global race on all levels has been triggered and the spread of generative AI on all aspects of work and productivity has impacted our lives as individuals.

    While in some part of the world the potential of AI has been realized, other parts, like the Arab World, are less capable today to benefit from it. The gap is not only between the Arab countries and others but also among the Arab countries themselves especially in the human capacity and resources.
    Consequently, many challenges have emerged and need to be addressed:
    • The need to build and AI eco-system that can lead to economic growth.
    • The role of AI in harnessing and fostering innovation in the Arab world.
    • Building human capacity in AI.
    • The need of localized open AI tools and resources that can be available to all.
    • Regional and international cooperation attracting AI investment in Arab countries.
    • Addressing the ethical aspects AI in areas related proper use, data governance, data bias and other related issues.

    Participants will engage with AI experts to understand the current status and potential of AI in the Arab region. Discussions will focus on identifying regional gaps and exploring successful international AI models. The session will feature interactive discussions on methodologies and frameworks that can be adapted to local needs, emphasizing collaborative stakeholder engagement.

    Expected Outcomes

    The workshop aims to establish a "best practice process" for leveraging AI in the Arab world to foster innovation and economic growth. Participants will work towards drafting a regional AI adoption roadmap, identifying commitments from stakeholders for ongoing collaboration and action. This will include specific follow-up events and the development of a comprehensive report outlining strategic recommendations.

    Hybrid Format: The Workshop will be conducted in Hybrid mode to allow the maximum benefit from the discussion, views, and inputs of all participants onsite and online. Beside the workshop moderator, there will be an online moderator to coordinate and facilitate the exchange of point views and discussions between the onsite and online attendees. This moderation will ensure that time allocated for both onsite and online is balanced based on the level of interaction among the attendees (onsite/online).