Royal Commission for AlUla Partners with Google Cloud to Train Over 3,000 Community Members

RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA
RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA
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Royal Commission for AlUla Partners with Google Cloud to Train Over 3,000 Community Members

RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA
RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields - SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has signed a collaboration agreement with Google Cloud, marking a significant step towards realizing its ambitious vision of transforming AlUla into a center for digital growth and innovation.
Announced at the Google Cloud Summit in Riyadh, the agreement will see the launch of AlUla Skills Lab (ASL), a key initiative aimed at equipping AlUla's residents with cutting-edge digital skills. This milestone underscores RCU's commitment to digital transformation and the enhancement of human capital in the region, SPA reported.
Through this initiative, RCU will invite more than 3,000 participants from AlUla to enroll in specialized courses designed to enhance their knowledge and expertise in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and other digital fields.
The training programs will be delivered both in-person and online, following three main tracks: foundational and professional digital skills, data and artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
The AlUla Skills Lab will also welcome students, educators, and digital enthusiasts from AlUla, providing them with hands-on learning experiences through Google Cloud's suite of digital tools and services. Community members eager to develop their digital expertise and professional skills will have the opportunity to register for these courses, which are open to individuals with a strong interest in exploring the latest technological advancements and applications Google Cloud offers.
Through the ASL initiative, RCU seeks to ensure that the program aligns with its long-term goals for human capacity development. The collaboration also aims to establish an official Google Innovation Lab in AlUla, serving as a dedicated hub for community learning, innovation, and digital literacy.
Developing digital capabilities in AlUla is a fundamental pillar of RCU’s broader strategy, which focuses on expanding smart and digital services to improve the daily lives of residents, businesses, and investors. Enhancing digital skills within the local workforce will also contribute to the sustainable growth and economic diversification of Northwest Arabia and the Kingdom at large.



Musk Says Chatbot Grok 3 Will Be Unveiled Monday

 A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)
A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)
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Musk Says Chatbot Grok 3 Will Be Unveiled Monday

 A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)
A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and xAI logo are seen in this illustration taken, February 16, 2025. (Reuters)

Elon Musk said his startup xAI will release its Grok 3 chatbot on Monday and billed it as the "smartest AI on Earth" in a fiercely competitive market.

The company's flagship artificial intelligence product will go live with a demonstration on Monday night at 8:00 pm Pacific time (0400 GMT), the tech billionaire wrote Saturday on his social media platform X.

Grok 3 was trained on synthetic data and is capable of reflecting on errors it makes by going over data in order to reach logical consistency.

"Will be honing product with the team all weekend, so offline until then," said Musk, the world's richest person and a top advisor to President Donald Trump who is tasked with slashing government spending.

Musk said last week that Grok 3 was in the final stages of development and would be released to the world in a matter of weeks.

xAI is seeking a competitive edge in a market teeming with products like OpenAI's ChatGPT as artificial intelligence spreads through contemporary life.

Chinese startup DeepSeek shocked the global AI industry last month with the launch of its low-cost, high-quality chatbot -- a challenge to US ambitions to lead the world in developing the technology.

DeepSeek quickly overtook ChatGPT in downloads on the Apple app store.

Musk has repeatedly warned that AI poses a risk to human civilization, but he is nonetheless pushing hard for a bigger slice of investment in the sector.

xAI said in December it raised $6 billion in its latest funding round from investors that included US venture capitalists, chipmakers Nvidia and AMD, among others. It raised an initial $6 billion in May.

The company is now one of the world's most valuable startups, though still dwarfed by OpenAI.

Musk, who also acts as boss of SpaceX and Tesla, launched the AI company in July 2023 shortly after he signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of powerful AI models.

OpenAI's board chairman on Friday said it has unanimously rejected a Musk-led offer to buy the company for $97.4 billion.