Trust, it is often said, is earned in drops but lost in buckets. When it comes to realising the potential of artificial intelligence, trust is arguably as important as computing power or economic returns. Just how much ordinary people are willing to trust this technology is a critical question – and one that is difficult to answer quantifiably.
Nevertheless, it is a pertinent question for the UAE, a country that has positioned itself at the forefront of this technology. Dubai’s announcement yesterday to offer a $1 million (Dh3.6 million) prize in collaboration with the World Economic Forum for meaningful AI innovation is another expression of that commitment. However, as the technology becomes more capable, its success will depend on more than just the ability to build it.
To this point, speaking at the Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders yesterday in Dubai, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Al Olama suggested AI has to earn trust before being granted broader decision-making powers. His observation deserves to be central to the debate about the technology’s future.
It is a future that offers the possibility of a substantial economic prize. Research presented alongside the WEF gathering suggests that AI could unlock more than $1 trillion in value across the Middle East and North Africa by 2030. For a region in which many countries want to diversify their economy, this is an opportunity to be taken seriously.
However, projections such as these should not gloss over some important caveats – and the human factor. An AI system that makes a demonstrable contribution to productivity is valuable. One that people feel they cannot trust with their personal data, their finances or important decisions will struggle to succeed.
Trust has to be earned through clear accountability and tangible safeguards. When AI makes mistakes, people need to know who is responsible and how errors will be corrected. These protections gain importance in step with the greater authority granted to automated systems.
Dubai’s gathering of established and emerging leaders is an opportunity to consider these questions in depth and across generations. Future generations will inherit the consequences of the decisions being made today. It stands to reason that they should also have a meaningful voice in determining how AI moves forward.
The UAE has demonstrated that early investment and a willingness to experiment can establish a country as a serious player in a new industry. The next stage requires a comparable determination to get the governance right.
AI may transform the Middle East’s economy and help prepare it for a rapidly changing world with many challenges. However, its lasting value will depend on whether it improves people’s lives without asking them to surrender their confidence in the technology. In the long run, success will belong to those who give people good reason to trust them.
