Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs

Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs
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Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs

Saudi University Students Develop 12 Research Projects in AI, Robotics at KACST Labs

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) executed a 10-week cooperative training program for 24 trainees from several universities within the Kingdom, culminating in 12 research projects spanning diverse engineering and scientific fields.
The research projects were centered around the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, including human-robot interaction, advanced robotics, computer vision, generative AI, AI in healthcare, and integrated systems.
The projects also undertook the task of creating initial robotic models and advancing technological solutions employing sophisticated techniques and methodologies for the development of AI models, SPA reported.
Additionally, they assessed and enhanced linguistic models for the AI chatbot “ChatGPT” to align with local content and the Arabic language.
The Vice President of KACST for Future Economies Sector, Dr. Mariam Nouh, indicated that the training program was overseen by a research team of experts in AI and robotics technologies, advancing the skills of both male and female trainees by making use of the city's laboratories and facilities.
The experts provided them with knowledge in future economy domains such as cyber security, smart cities, advanced transportation technologies, earth and space sciences, along with upcoming communication and sensor technologies, Dr. Nouh said.



10 Endangered Black Rhinos Sent from S.Africa to Mozambique

Kenya Wildlife Services veterinarians and rangers rush to aid a sedated female black Rhinoceros that has been selected for translocation to the Segera Rhino Sanctuary from the Lake Nakuru National Park on June 07, 2025. (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP)
Kenya Wildlife Services veterinarians and rangers rush to aid a sedated female black Rhinoceros that has been selected for translocation to the Segera Rhino Sanctuary from the Lake Nakuru National Park on June 07, 2025. (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP)
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10 Endangered Black Rhinos Sent from S.Africa to Mozambique

Kenya Wildlife Services veterinarians and rangers rush to aid a sedated female black Rhinoceros that has been selected for translocation to the Segera Rhino Sanctuary from the Lake Nakuru National Park on June 07, 2025. (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP)
Kenya Wildlife Services veterinarians and rangers rush to aid a sedated female black Rhinoceros that has been selected for translocation to the Segera Rhino Sanctuary from the Lake Nakuru National Park on June 07, 2025. (Photo by Tony KARUMBA / AFP)

Ten black rhinos have been moved from South Africa to Mozambique to secure breeding of the critically endangered animals that became locally extinct 50 years ago, conservationists said Thursday.

The five male and five female rhinos were transferred to Mozambique's Zinave National Park in a 48-hour road trip last week, said the Peace Parks Foundation, which took part in the translocation.

"It was necessary to introduce these 10 to make the population viable," communication coordinator Lesa van Rooyen told AFP.

The new arrivals will "secure the first founder population of black rhinos since becoming locally extinct five decades ago,” South Africa's environment ministry, which was also involved, said in a statement.

Twelve black rhinos had previously been sent from South Africa to Zinave in central Mozambique but the population was still not viable for breeding, Van Rooyen said.

Twenty-five white rhinos, which are classified as less threatened, were also translocated in various operations.

The global black rhino population dropped by 96 percent between 1970 and 1993, reaching a low of only 2,300 surviving in the wild, according to the International Rhino Foundation.

Decades of conservation efforts allowed the species to slowly recover and the population is estimated at 6,421 today.

Once abundant across sub-Saharan Africa, rhino numbers fell dramatically due to hunting by European colonizers and large-scale poaching, with their horns highly sought after on black markets particularly in Asia.

Mozambique's population of the large animals was depleted during the 15-year civil war, which ended in 1992 and pushed many people to desperate measures to "survive in very difficult circumstances", van Rooyen said.

Years of rewilding efforts have established Zinave as Mozambique’s only national park home to the "Big Five" game animals -- elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo.