Over 2.6M Electronic Transactions Carried Out Through Saudi Arabia's Absher Platform in July

Absher is a smartphone application allowing users in Saudi Arabia to use different government services
Absher is a smartphone application allowing users in Saudi Arabia to use different government services
TT

Over 2.6M Electronic Transactions Carried Out Through Saudi Arabia's Absher Platform in July

Absher is a smartphone application allowing users in Saudi Arabia to use different government services
Absher is a smartphone application allowing users in Saudi Arabia to use different government services

The electronic platform "Absher," managed by the Saudi Ministry of Interior, facilitated in July over 2.6 million electronic transactions for citizens, residents, and visitors through the ministry's various sectors' electronic services.

These services were successfully executed by the Interior Ministry’s Agency for Civil Affairs, the General Directorate of Passports, and the General Traffic Department of Public Security.

Among the transactions conducted, the platform processed 172,281 requests for document delivery via mail, responded to 5,012 general inquiries related to fingerprinting, and issued 9,719 reports using the Absher reporting service.



OpenAI Launches Free AI Training Course for Teachers

A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed OpenAI logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)
A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed OpenAI logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)
TT

OpenAI Launches Free AI Training Course for Teachers

A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed OpenAI logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)
A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed OpenAI logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. (Reuters)

OpenAI and non-profit partner Common Sense Media have launched a free training course for teachers aimed at demystifying artificial intelligence and prompt engineering, the organizations said on Wednesday.

The move comes as OpenAI is stepping up efforts to highlight the positive role in education of its ChatGPT chatbot whose launch in November 2022 kicked off a generative AI craze and made it one of the world's fastest-growing applications.

Trained on reams of data, generative AI can create brand-new humanlike content, helping users spin up term papers, complete science homework and even write entire novels.

ChatGPT's launch - in the middle of the school year - caught teachers off-guard when they realized it could be used as a cheating and plagiarism tool, which then sparked a backlash and school bans.

OpenAI, backed by Microsoft and other investors and valued at $157 billion in its last funding round, has formed a dedicated team to support what it says is the responsible use of AI in education and learning, led by former Coursera executive Leah Belsky.

"My goal in this role is to put AI into the hands of every student and every teacher... and also give them the skills to learn how to do it responsibly and effectively," Belsky told Reuters. Belsky said that student adoption of ChatGPT is "very, very high," and parents are generally supportive, viewing AI skills as essential for future careers.

The training course, targeted at kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, shows them how to use the ChatGPT chatbot product for various education use cases, such as to create lesson content or streamline department meetings. Available on Common Sense Media's website, it is the first offering in OpenAI's partnership with Common Sense Media.