Exclusive: Saudi Arabia’s AI Ethics Center in Riyadh to Issue Global Guidelines to Tackle ‘AI Hallucination’ – Minister

Abdullah Al-Sawaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, told Maaal newspaper that the newly launched International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE), in Riyadh will provide global guidelines to address “AI hallucination”—a phenomenon where artificial intelligence systems produce confident but unfounded responses.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Artificial Intelligence Conference, Al-Sawaha said the ICAIRE, supported by UNESCO member states, including Saudi Arabia, is one of five global AI ethics centres established by the organisation.

The Riyadh-based center, which is legal, financial, and administratively independent, aims to advance AI research and ethics worldwide. It will contribute to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and align with UNESCO’s recommendations on AI ethics.

Key objectives include promoting international cooperation on AI research, raising awareness about AI ethics, fostering AI skills development, and advising on AI policy. The center will also address ethical challenges such as “AI hallucination,” where AI systems generate information without a credible source.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference, in its 42nd session, approved on November 16, 2023 granting the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) the status of Category 2 Center under its auspices.

ICAIRE supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the priorities and scope of UNESCO’s AI programs, focusing on the Arab countries in the Middle East.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries to adopt the recommendations concerning AI ethics, which UNESCO adopted in November 2021, with the participation of 193 states.

In mid-September 2022, the principles of AI ethics were launched at the second Global AI Summit, which SDAIA organized. On July 25, 2023, the Cabinet issued a decision approving the establishment of a center called the “International Center for AI Research and Ethics”, to be based in Riyadh, and that would have legal personality, and financial and administrative independence.

The establishment of this center is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to become a leader in artificial intelligence, and to enhance its role in coordinating international and regional cooperation in the field of AI policies, ethics and research.

The center’s activities will be concentrated in four domains: facilitating AI research and development, fostering communication and awareness regarding AI ethics, offering policy recommendations and support in the development of AI capabilities, and making contributions to international efforts that benefit humanity in the realm of AI.