(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Joel Johnson
|
The Peninsula
Doha: Qatar continues to demonstrate an outsized commitment to human capital and technology ecosystem development, an official said. According to the Oxford Insights AI Readiness index 2024, Qatar ranks among the top countries in the region.
Highlighting the ongoing R&D investments for tech in the country, Manail Anis Ahmed (pictured), Responsible AI Mentor at Princeton University told The Peninsula that“Qatar has invested in specialised institutions like the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), which focuses on AI and data science research.”
Numerous other institutes including Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) offer AI-related programs to upskill STEM graduates.
Ahmed said,“AI development has come to be seen as a proxy for national innovation.”
She noted that Qatar's commitment to AI development has been maintained in previous years and the growth of the technology will continue to apace in the current year.
The technology expert said that AI is driven by a race for both relevance and geopolitical dominance and Qatar tops the giants in the Gulf region despite its size - rivaling both UAE and Saudi in terms of appetite for AI development.
In addition to business and government optimisation, Qatar has been developing and deploying AI for health and education purposes.
She said WISE Qatar has set an entire research agenda based on AI's role in integrating into curricula, bridging skills gaps, and preparing students for an AI-driven workforce.”
Ahmed stressed that“Jobs will not be replaced by AI - people not using AI will be replaced by people using AI.”
Ahmed elucidated that this can be a double-edged sword for any economy as Qatar requires more AI-ready workforce.
“Using AI tools will not automatically lead to a transformation in the country's economic and labor profile. Those changes will be a few years in the making. I tend to think that with the right, humane, and compassionate labor policies, Qatari entities using AI tools will amplify efficiencies and be a positive phenomenon overall,” she said.
Ahmed explained that Qatar has put in place strong fundamentals for the development, promotion, and nurturing of an innovation ecosystem. It is well-placed to outpace its rivals in the region in terms of becoming a leader in the ethical, responsible, and socially purposeful development and use of AI technologies.”
AI holds much promise for various kinds of positive social impact for women in Qatar.
She further added "I am very optimistic about Qatar's prospects - and especially the prospects of Qatari women - in this domain in the next few years, and look forward to being able to continue to contribute to its growth in the near future."
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