Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 

Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 
TT

Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 

Saudi Arabia's stc Group and Research, Development, and Innovation Authority Partner to Launch AI Lab 

stc Group and the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority signed on Tuesday a cooperation agreement to establish the stc Group Artificial Intelligence Lab. The strategic partnership aims to support and empower pioneering projects in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement was signed by Research, Development, and Innovation Authority acting Supervisor-General Dr. Mohammed Al-Otaibi and stc Group chief technology officer Eng. Haitham Al-Faraj on the sidelines of the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit, which is being held in Riyadh. The summit focuses on developing effective mechanisms to support national projects aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

The partnership will provide the necessary capabilities to foster innovative ideas and projects that contribute to a knowledge-based economy and solidify Saudi Arabia's position as a global technology hub.

It represents a significant step towards creating a supportive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, driving sustainable economic growth, and developing national capabilities in various technical fields.

The stc Group's artificial intelligence (AI) lab will serve as a platform for testing and developing innovative technical solutions. It will provide an integrated environment to support ideas and transform them into products and services that enhance Saudi Arabia's global competitiveness and achieve national targets.

This includes increasing the number of startups, supporting entrepreneurs, providing a conducive environment for innovation, and increasing research and development spending through collaboration between government agencies and private-sector companies.

The lab will also contribute to increasing the number of patents, creating new job opportunities, and supporting the transformation of ideas into inventions at the global level.



EU Says Trump Arrival Will Not Impact Big Tech Cases

The logos of mobile apps, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Netflix, are displayed on a screen in this illustration picture taken December 3, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo
The logos of mobile apps, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Netflix, are displayed on a screen in this illustration picture taken December 3, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo
TT

EU Says Trump Arrival Will Not Impact Big Tech Cases

The logos of mobile apps, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Netflix, are displayed on a screen in this illustration picture taken December 3, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo
The logos of mobile apps, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Netflix, are displayed on a screen in this illustration picture taken December 3, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo

The European Commission said on Tuesday it was assessing its cases against Apple, Google and Meta and that President-elect Donald Trump's impending arrival in the White House did not affect its commitment to enforcing its laws on big tech.

The European Commission has carried out a series of investigations into US tech firms under its Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, which seek to make large platforms adhere to market rules and act against illegal content, according to Reuters.

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg said Europe was "institutionalizing censorship".

"We have been very clear that no matter which administration is in place in third countries, this will not affect our enforcement work," a Commission spokesperson told the EU's executive's daily briefing.

The Financial Times reported that the European Commission was reassessing its investigations of Apple, Meta and Google in a review that could lead it to scale back or change its investigations that could lead to fines as US groups urge Trump to intervene.

The Commission denied it was carrying out a review.

"What we do have is upcoming meetings to assess maturity of cases, to assess the allocation of resources and the general readiness of the investigation," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that the cases were still being handled at a technical level and so not reached a point at which decisions could be taken.

"Obviously there may be a political reality which puts pressure on the technical work, but we need to distinguish the two stages because we need to have a court-proof investigation," another spokesperson said.