Originally published in Arab News.
Widespread adoption of artificial intelligence is on the horizon, and the coming wave of innovation in computer vision and natural language processing will affect the workforce of the near future in ways that many cannot anticipate.
This change presents a unique opportunity for Saudi Arabia, particularly when it comes to delivering the Vision 2030 goals.
In recent history, the focus has been on how so-called blue-collar work will be affected by automation. Yet, the latest rapid advancement of generative AI applications, including the recent release of Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service, which includes GPT-3.5 and DALL-E 2, shows that those in jobs involving the production of intellectual property will experience the most profound change.
Moreover, these industries also employ some of the highest wage earners globally. For instance, in 2019, wages in IP-intensive industries were 60% more than the average in the US — up from 30% in 1991
So, what does this mean for Saudi Arabia? During the transition that generative AI will catalyze, the Kingdom could leapfrog economies that have spent trillions of dollars building IP-intensive ecosystems.
Read the original piece here.