ROSHN Group, stc Group Partner to Connect ROSHN Communities with Cutting-edge ICT

ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities
ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities
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ROSHN Group, stc Group Partner to Connect ROSHN Communities with Cutting-edge ICT

ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities
ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities

ROSHN, Saudi Arabia's leading national real estate developer and PIF-funded giga-project, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and infrastructure agreement with stc group, the engine of digital transformation in the region, at the Cityscape Global forum in Riyadh to provide ROSHN communities with best-in-class, cutting-edge telecommunications access, coverage and connectivity, according to statement from ROSHN.

The statement said ROSHN and stc group would explore opportunities for collaboration around integrating cutting-edge connectivity and ICT solutions with ROSHN communities.

These will include 5G towers, smart home and smart city solutions, and implementing Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that improve efficiency, accelerate connectivity and boost the quality of life for residents and visitors.

The MoU will also see ROSHN and stc explore the possibilities of a loyalty program for ROSHN community residents alongside adding stcpay for ROSHN online transactions.

Through the framework agreement, stc group will design, build, and operate a neutral host infrastructure for ROSHN's WAREFA community in Riyadh. This development will allow residents access to both fixed-fiber networks and accelerated wireless mobility connectivity, regardless of service provider.

David Grover, Group CEO of ROSHN, and Olayan Bin Mohammed Alwetaid, stc Group CEO, signed the agreements.

"The partnership agreement established between stc and ROSHN has been formulated as a strategic move towards the expansion and growth of the group,” said Alwetaid.

“The agreement aims to strengthen the group's digitally equipped capabilities and enable it to operate in new regions and projects across the Kingdom. We will equip a modern digital infrastructure and provide the latest digital solutions and services,” he said.

“Our innovative technologies will enrich the lives of society, as smart city technologies and applications will be reflected in ROSHN projects to enhance the quality of life. These efforts align with the vision's goals: to build a digital society, a prosperous digital economy, and a better future for the Kingdom,” Alwetaid added.

As for Grover, he stated: "At ROSHN, we are always seeking to form partnerships with companies and organizations that can deliver our residents the best-in-class services they expect from ROSHN communities and properties. These two agreements will ensure that residents of all our communities have access to up-to-the-minute digital tools required by the modern world, enabling them fast internet access, easy communications, and secure payment connections."



Justice at Stake as Generative AI Enters the Courtroom

Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP
Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP
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Justice at Stake as Generative AI Enters the Courtroom

Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP
Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is making its way into courts despite early stumbles, raising questions about how it will influence the legal system and justice itself.

Judges use the technology for research, lawyers utilize it for appeals and parties involved in cases have relied on GenAI to help express themselves in court.

"It's probably used more than people expect," said Daniel Linna, a professor at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, about GenAI in the US legal system.

"Judges don't necessarily raise their hand and talk about this to a whole room of judges, but I have people who come to me afterward and say they are experimenting with it”.

In one prominent instance, GenAI enabled murder victim Chris Pelkey to address an Arizona courtroom -- in the form of a video avatar -- at the sentencing of the man convicted of shooting him dead in 2021 during a clash between motorists.

"I believe in forgiveness," said a digital proxy of Pelkey created by his sister, Stacey Wales.

The judge voiced appreciation for the avatar, saying it seemed authentic.

"I knew it would be powerful," Wales told , "that that it would humanize Chris in the eyes of the judge."

The AI testimony, a first of its kind, ended the sentencing hearing at which Wales and other members of the slain man's family spoke about the impact of the loss.

Since the hearing, examples of GenAI being used in US legal cases have multiplied.

"It is a helpful tool and it is time-saving, as long as the accuracy is confirmed," said attorney Stephen Schwartz, who practices in the northeastern state of Maine.

"Overall, it's a positive development in jurisprudence."

Schwartz described using ChatGPT as well as GenAI legal assistants, such as LexisNexis Protege and CoCounsel from Thomson Reuters, for researching case law and other tasks.

"You can't completely rely on it," Schwartz cautioned, recommending that cases proffered by GenAI be read to ensure accuracy.

"We are all aware of a horror story where AI comes up with mixed-up case things."

The technology has been the culprit behind false legal citations, far-fetched case precedents, and flat-out fabrications.

In early May, a federal judge in Los Angeles imposed $31,100 in fines and damages on two law firms for an error-riddled petition drafted with the help of GenAI, blasting it as a "collective debacle."

The tech is also being relied on by some who skip lawyers and represent themselves in court, often causing legal errors.

And as GenAI makes it easier and cheaper to draft legal complaints, courts already overburdened by caseloads could see them climb higher, said Shay Cleary of the National Center for State Courts.

"Courts need to be prepared to handle that," Cleary said.

Transformation

Law professor Linna sees the potential for GenAI to be part of the solution though, giving more people the ability to seek justice in courts made more efficient.

"We have a huge number of people who don't have access to legal services," Linna said.

"These tools can be transformative; of course we need to be thoughtful about how we integrate them."

Federal judges in the US capitol have written decisions noting their use of ChatGPT in laying out their opinions.

"Judges need to be technologically up-to-date and trained in AI," Linna said.

GenAI assistants already have the potential to influence the outcome of cases the same way a human law clerk might, reasoned the professor.

Facts or case law pointed out by GenAI might sway a judge's decision, and could be different than what a legal clerk would have come up with.

But if GenAI lives up to its potential and excels at finding the best information for judges to consider, that could make for well-grounded rulings less likely to be overturned on appeal, according to Linna.