Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the International Center of AI Research and Ethics in Riyadh (SPA)

MT Desk: The first Saudi Arabia-UK roundtable on artificial intelligence held earlier this week at the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority headquarters in Riyadh, saw participants discuss regulations and ethics related to the technology.

The organizers included the British Embassy and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The participants at the gathering included Yaser Al-Onaizan, deputy CEO and deputy general-supervisor of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence, UK Ambassador to the Kingdom Neil Crompton, as well as senior officials, academics, and private sector representatives from both countries.

Discussions at the event focused on regulatory and ethical issues, including privacy, public trust and transparency, the SPA reported.

KAUST showcased several of its research projects and highlighted potential areas for AI cooperation with UK institutions.

A Saudi Arabia delegation is set to participate in the world’s first global AI safety summit next month in Britain.

The Nov. 1 to 2 summits will focus on the existential threat some lawmakers, and Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, say AI poses.