Riyadh: As the world turns its attention to Riyadh to discuss the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and the ethics of its development and use, Saudi Arabia continues its efforts to build a generation of national talent specializing in data and AI, placing responsibility and ethics at the heart of technological development.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the efforts coincide with the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (GFEAI 2026), being held in Riyadh. Saudi specialists and researchers are developing AI technologies, extending beyond improving model and algorithm efficiency and data-processing speed to testing reliability and fairness and addressing challenges related to digital bias and data protection, while taking privacy and cultural and linguistic diversity into account.

In this context, researchers and developers are working to integrate governance and ethical principles at the early stages of system design and development, through cooperation between the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE).

Building an AI ecosystem is not limited to developing the technology itself, but also extends to developing the expertise needed to develop, evaluate and govern it. This is reflected in the professional badge system awarded to specialists in data and AI. SDAIA previously honored more than 52 experts and specialists who had obtained professional badges.