Riyadh Hosts Third Edition of Global AI Summit in September

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Riyadh Hosts Third Edition of Global AI Summit in September

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The third edition of the Global AI Summit will be held in Riyadh from September 10 to 12 under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

In a statement, SDAIA President Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi expressed his gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed for his unwavering support for the Global AI Summit.

He emphasized the pivotal role this patronage plays in advancing the national data and AI agenda, maximizing the benefits of cutting-edge technologies, and improving the Kingdom's global standing and reinforcing its leadership position in the field.

“This summit builds on the remarkable achievements of its previous editions, held in 2020 and 2022 under the gracious patronage of the Crown Prince,” he added.

“The third edition of the summit distinguishes itself through its extensive range of topics covering diverse areas of global interest in data and AI. This is particularly significant considering the rapid progress of these technologies and their profound impact on individuals and institutions,” he stressed.

The summit will cover key topics in the field of AI, such as innovation and industry trends, shaping a brighter future for AI, and cultivating an enabling environment for human talent.

Sub-themes will delve into various issues, including local and global AI applications, the integral relationship between humans and AI, business leadership in AI, the correlation between data and applications, generative AI, AI ethics, AI processing and infrastructure, and the role of AI in smart cities.

Al-Ghamdi extended an invitation to leading AI policymakers and individuals passionate about data and innovation to participate in the upcoming summit.

The gathering aims to tackle critical issues surrounding AI development and establish a framework for its responsible use.

According to Al-Ghamdi, the summit is expected to have a positive impact both locally and internationally. It aims to strengthen the Kingdom's role in supporting the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, thus contributing to a better future for all.

Al-Ghamdi underscored the summit's significance to Saudi Vision 2030, led by Crown Prince Mohammed, and said it aspires to make Riyadh a global compass for AI advancements, fostering collaboration on responsible AI development that benefits humanity as a whole.

Attendees will gain insights from prominent international decision makers, ministers, heads of organizations, and tech CEOs.

The summit will facilitate interaction with leading data scientists and AI researchers, offering a global perspective on cutting-edge developments.

The event is expected to witness the signing of local and international agreements, which will form the foundation of future international initiatives in AI led by Saudi Arabia.

Al-Ghamdi said the third edition of the summit underscores the Kingdom's ambition, as envisioned by Crown Prince Mohammed, to become a leading global model in the AI field.



Google Reportedly Weighs Large Data Center in Vietnam

FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
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Google Reportedly Weighs Large Data Center in Vietnam

FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

Alphabet's Google is considering building a large data center in Vietnam, a person briefed on the plans said, in what would be the first such investment by a big US technology company in the Southeast Asian nation.
Google is weighing setting up a "hyperscale" data center close to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's southern economic hub, the source said, declining to be named because the information is not public.
The investment, the size of which the source did not specify, would be a shot in the arm for Vietnam which has so far failed to attract major overseas capital in data centers due to its patchy infrastructure, with large tech companies preferring to house their centers in rival nations in the region.
According to Reuters, it was not clear how quickly Google will reach a decision on an investment but the source said internal talks are on and the data center could be ready in 2027.
A spokesperson for Google declined to comment about the data center plan.
Hyperscale centers are the largest in the industry, with power consumption usually similar to that of a big city.
A hyperscale data center with power consumption capacity of 50 megawatts (MW) could cost between $300 million and $650 million, according to estimates based on data published by real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle in a report this year on data centers in Vietnam.
Google's move was motivated by the large number of its domestic and foreign cloud services clients in Vietnam and the country's expanding digital economy, the source said, noting the Southeast Asian nation was one of the fastest-growing markets for YouTube, Google's popular online video sharing platform.
Currently the top data center operators in Vietnam, based on computing space, are industrial investment firm IDC Becamex and telecommunications company VNPT, both Vietnamese state-owned enterprises, according to an internal market report by an industrial park in Vietnam seen by Reuters.
The Nikkei reported in May that Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba was considering building a data center in Vietnam. Alibaba did not reply to a request for comment.